How did early modern people remember and define rights of way in and beyond their communities? Dr Zoë Jackson reflects on a question which guides her postdoctoral research on how and why people in seventeenth- and eighteenth-century England and Scotland remembered, contested, and communicated their knowledge and use of these rights of way. Her study draws on legal and family papers, and considers how social status and local history influenced debates over rights to access. In this post, Zoë describes how the recent award of an RHS David Berry Fellowship in the History of Scotland and the Scottish People, contributed to her research.

The country house has been a major focus of research for academics and heritage professionals alike in recent years. But what about the houses that do not quite fit under the traditional country house umbrella, such as villas, townhouses, seaside resorts, hunting lodges, royal residences, pleasure palaces? In this post, Alyssa Myers introduces the 'Beyond the Country House' project, and the initial project workshop supported by an RHS Workshop Grant which took place earlier this year at English Heritage’s Marble Hill in Twickenham.

Florence Nightingale (1820-1910) is a celebrated figure in British history, yet her connections to Derbyshire are less widely understood. The Nightingale family’s wealth was rooted in the industrial economy of Derbyshire, particularly around Cromford and Lea Bridge. Their home at Lea Hurst served as an important retreat, where Florence returned after the Crimean War and later cared for her dying mother. The Arkwright Society, the charity with looks after Cromford Mills, part of the Derwent Valley World Heritage Site, and the Florence Nightingale Derbyshire Association wanted to explore new ways of celebrating the legacy of Florence Nightingale. In this post, Dr Kathleen McIlvenna and Dr Jo Ray reflect on activities supported by their RHS Scouloudi Public History Grant , 2025-26 for students to undertake research at Cromford Mills and develop a new exhibition.