About the service...

  • Your Place Revealed is a research and storytelling service for businesses, organisations, property owners and individuals who want to understand and celebrate the history of their building, street, site or neighbourhood.

    Most places have more stories than people realise. A building may have changed use many times. A shop, pub, warehouse, mill, theatre, school or office may sit on land with a much older history. Sometimes the interest is in the architecture. Sometimes it is in the people, businesses, communities and everyday lives connected with that place.

    The purpose of the research is to uncover those layers and present them in a way that is engaging, visual and useful, whether for display, marketing, heritage interpretation, social media, events, tours, or simply personal interest.

  • Your Place Revealed may be useful for hotels, pubs, bars, restaurants, shops, offices, residential developments, estate agents, cultural venues, schools, universities, charities, community groups, developers, architects, and property owners.

    It can also be suitable for individuals who are curious about the history of their home, street, workplace or local area.

  • The research can include the history of a building, the previous uses of a site, historic maps, archive photographs, former businesses, people connected with the place, architectural history, planning history, local events, newspaper references, and wider neighbourhood context.

    Every place is different. Some addresses have a rich and well-documented history; others are quieter, more fragmentary or more difficult to trace.

    Part of the work is finding the best available story and presenting it clearly.

  • We can research many buildings, streets and sites in Greater Manchester, but the depth of what we can find will vary.

    Some places have excellent archive material, photographs, newspaper references, maps and directories. Others may have very little surviving information.

    Before starting, we can usually give you a sense of what may be possible and whether the project is likely to be worthwhile.

What you receive...

  • The standard format is a written and visual PDF document (A5 size). This can be used digitally, printed, shared internally, or adapted into other formats depending on permissions and licensing.

    Additional options may include printed booklets, framed display material, website copy, social media text, press notes, exhibition-style panels, then-and-now photo comparisons, talks, walks, or a more detailed research pack.

    Please see the list of options available here.

  • The options will usually depend on the level of research required and how the final material will be used. A simple research pack may be enough for personal interest or internal use. A business, venue or development may want something more visual and polished, such as a booklet, display material, web content or a small launch/event package.

    Please see our Options / Services page for the current list of available products and guide prices.

  • Description text goes here

  • Then-and-now photographs can be a powerful way to show how a place has changed, but they are rarely perfectly aligned.

    Camera lenses, viewpoints, road layouts, access restrictions, building changes, trees, parked vehicles and safety issues can all affect the final image. The aim is to create a clear and engaging comparison that helps tell the story of the place, rather than a technically perfect match.

  • Historic maps are incredibly useful, but they were produced at different times, for different purposes and to different standards of accuracy. When old maps are compared with modern mapping, there may be small differences in alignment, scale or interpretation.

    They are best understood as a guide to how a place has changed, rather than as a perfect measured survey.

Using the material...

  • In many cases, yes. The written research and original material we create for you can usually be used for agreed purposes such as your website, social media, printed material, reception displays, press, events or internal communications.

    However, some historic images, maps, newspaper extracts or archive material may be owned by third parties. These may require separate permission or licensing depending on how you want to use them.

    Please see the FAQ below…

  • Historic photographs, maps and archive documents are often owned or managed by libraries, archives, museums, publishers, private collections or commercial image libraries. Permission to view, research or reference something does not always mean it can be reproduced freely.

    Licensing can vary depending on the source and the intended use. For example, using an image in a private research document may be treated differently from using it on a public website, in social media, in printed marketing material, or as a framed display in a commercial venue.

    For more detail, please see our Use, Permissions & Licensing page.

  • Usually, yes, but this depends on the material included.

    If the finished piece uses only our own writing, our own photography, openly licensed material, or material where display rights have been cleared, it should normally be straightforward.

    If it includes archive photographs, historic maps or other third-party material, display use may need to be covered by the relevant licence.

  • Yes. A printed booklet can be a lovely way to present the history of a place, especially for hotels, residential developments, venues, anniversaries, open days, client gifts or reception areas.

    Any archive images, maps or third-party material used in a printed booklet may need the correct permissions, especially if the booklet is being distributed publicly or used for promotional purposes.

    Please note that booklets need to be printed through ourselves.

  • Selling the finished material is different from using it for internal, personal, display or promotional purposes.

    If you want to sell a booklet, print, guide, map, image pack or any other product based on the research, please tell us at the start. This may require a different licence, different archive permissions, and a separate agreement.

  • We may ask for permission to show selected examples of finished work on our website, social media, portfolio or promotional material. This helps explain the service to future clients.

    However, we understand that some projects may be private, commercially sensitive, or not suitable for public sharing. We can agree this with you before publication or delivery.

Process, costs & practicalities...

  • Prices depend on the size of the site, the depth of research, the number of outputs required, and whether archive images, maps or other licensed material are needed.

    Guide prices are shown on the Options / Services page where possible. If your project needs something more specific, we can provide a tailored quote before any work begins.

    Any likely additional costs, such as archive image licensing, printing, framing or specialist photography, will be discussed with you in advance.

  • Timescales depend on the size and complexity of the project, the level of research required, and whether archive permissions or third-party licences are involved.

    A smaller research pack may be relatively straightforward. A more detailed document with archive images, designed layouts, then-and-now photography or printed outputs may take longer.

    We will agree a realistic timescale with you before work begins.

  • We always aim to be careful, accurate and honest, but historic research is rarely completely finished. Records may be missing, dates may conflict, buildings may have changed gradually, and some stories simply leave fewer traces than others.

    The final document will be based on the best available information found during the agreed research time. Where something is uncertain, we will try to say so rather than present guesswork as fact.

  • Yes. We want the final piece to work for you.

    A reasonable round of comments or corrections can usually be included, particularly for names, dates, captions, tone, branding or practical use. Larger changes, additional research, new outputs or major rewrites may need to be quoted separately.

  • No. We can help identify likely copyright and licensing issues, contact archives or rights holders where agreed, and explain things in plain English based on the information available.

    However, we cannot provide formal legal advice. If your project involves high-value commercial use, publication, resale, or sensitive rights issues, you may need independent legal advice.

  • The best starting point is to tell us the address, building, site or area you are interested in, along with how you hope to use the finished research.

    From there, we can suggest the most suitable option, identify any likely licensing issues, and provide a quote before the work begins.