Victoria County History
The Victoria County History is one of the world's longest-running research projects, exploring England's rich local history.
IHR - In this section
Explore England's rich history
The Victoria County History (VCH) was founded in 1899 as a national project to write the history of every county in England. At its inception, the project was dedicated to Queen Victoria, which is how it derives its name.
The VCH aims to complete authoritative, encyclopaedic histories of each county, from the earliest archaeological records to the present day, as well as topics such as topography, landscape and the built environment. Some VCH volumes were published over a century ago, while others are now in progress or planned for the future.
The Victoria County History is a series of publications: the iconic Red Books of county history, as well as the VCH Shorts, which focus on single parishes and towns.
The VCH is also a vast, diverse and lively community of historians, researchers and local groups, working on county histories across England. The project is led and managed in London at the Institute for Historical Research, but is driven by local County Trusts and their members, most of whom are volunteers. Contact us to find out how you could get involved.
