The destination for history
Great War Britain
The towns, cities and rural areas of Britain confronted inconceivable loss and change during the First World War and we will always remember and reflect on this seminal point in our history.
There has been swathes written about Britain’s role in the conflict, but of just as much importance to local history are the Home Front and ordinary people’s reactions and adaptions to living through wartime.
Each place in Britain is distinct and has its own story to tell. How did people really feel when they heard the country was going to war? What was it really like for those who signed up to fight and those who stayed behind? What happened to everyday activities like working, shopping and socialising? What were the lasting effects and how did the war impact on our towns and cities?
The pressures of war affected each and every person as all aspects of life changed. The aftermath of war saw vast political, social and economic changes. The British class system became outdated, the role of women was greatly transformed, advances in technology were made and reforms in health and education were brought in.
The First World War will forever be one of the most significant periods in recent history. The sacrifice and bravery of those involved is momentous, and we will continue to keep alive the memory of all that lived through the war by paying homage to those who never came back.
Remembering 1914-1918
Working in partnership with major museums, libraries, archives and heritage organisations across the UK, Great War Britain books showcase the most incredible images, artefacts and stories available, and in doing so, remember the bravery and sacrifice of the people of Britain on a local level between 1914 and 1918. Celebrating local history is a key part of the First World War commemorations and, following the idea that ‘every soldier came from somewhere’, this series reveals the individual stories and shares each community’s experience of the war.
Click here to discover your Great War Britain
Read more about local history
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Chapel Street: The bravest little street of World War I
A history of the men of Chapel Street, Altrincham in WWI
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The Middlesbrough Ambulance
The journey to hell and back
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A Gloucestershire Lad in World War I
A young Gloucestershire man’s memories of World War One
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Bloody Easter 1916: The Liverpool Irish in Dublin and France
Colin Cousins reveals another aspect of Easter 1916
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Woodchester Wayside Cross: Britain’s first war memorial
A tangible symbol of remembrance
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Hull in The Great War
Remembering Hull during The Great War
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Liverpool during the First World War
Author Pamela Russell takes us through Liverpool’s history during The Great War
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Zeppelins on the East Coast
How Norfolk survived the first air raid on Britain by German zeppelins during the Great War
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How the Pershore Plum helped win the First World War
The Great War was also fought in rural Home Front towns where food was produced and preserved
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In their footsteps: The impact of World War I in West Yorkshire
How the lives of people from West Yorkshire were affected during the First World War
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Growing up during the First World War in Worcestershire
How did WW1 change children's lives in the rural West Midlands?
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The Derbyshire Yeomanry in the First World War
A different war to the standard accounts of the Western Front
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The First World War and Eastern England
The wider picture 100 years on
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How the well-organised women of Cheltenham contributed to the war effort
Groups of women came forward to look after the wounded and volunteer for a range of tasks
