Talking Walls - Preserving Building Heritage through Oral History

Chronicle works with developers and local authorities to support with the creation of building records. We add a social history record through the stories of people who have a connection with the architecture.

Building Recording using personal stories

Traditional building records focus on the physical form of a building - preserving the record in a written form through measurements, material assessments and photographs. Chronicle adds an extra dimension by capturing the stories of people associated with the building and their uses. We do this by making audio recordings of people who have a connection to the building - past and/or current users, local community members, and sometimes project contractors.

A Guide to Good Recording Practice for Heritage Buildings

Historic England have published guidance for building recording in the form of a guide called "A Guide to Good Recording Practice" (available here).

The fundamental purpose of Building Recording is to promote the understanding and appreciation of historic buildings, therefore we believe recording the social history of the building and its role in the community is also vitally important.

By recording the stories of people who have a connection to the building in their own voice, we can help to preserve a richer history of the building and the people who worked or enjoyed it.

Case Study - The Redevelopment of Ruskin College in Oxford

Our work with former students at Ruskin College in Oxford helped to capture the daily life and culture of the College building in Walton Street, Oxford including it's temporary use as a maternity hospital in WW2. Listen to some of the stories we recorded here.