ROMSEY Local History Society has an ongoing project to research the history of buildings in central Romsey. Initial information comes from local residents' memories of shops and shopkeepers of Romsey. Photographs take the story back to the late 19th century and census material extends this back to 1841. The local newspapers contain many adverts for local businesses. The Romsey Register covers 1859-1889 and the Romsey Advertiser from 1896, but newspapers based in Winchester and Salisbury date back to the 18th century.

To research earlier history it is necessary to use any surviving legal deeds and wills. The inventories which often accompany wills give a detailed description of the contents of each room and enable us to understand the lifestyle of the inhabitants. We can also look at the records of archaeological excavations which add to our knowledge of some sites. Many buildings in Romsey are very old, and studying the actual buildings can help with understanding how they have been used and altered over time. Making surveys of the older buildings can add to our knowledge of their history. Some surveys have been done professionally but simpler surveys can be done by our members. Professor Roger Leech who has been involved in a major survey of buildings in Bristol leads the building surveying.

Some of the old documents and archaeological material require careful analysis but use of photographs and local reminiscences can be done without any special training.

As well as looking at the buildings we are interested in tracing their inhabitants, their trades and professions, and their families. Many families have been in the Romsey area for several centuries at least.

Our first researches have been presented on posters displayed in shop windows in central Romsey. These were prepared for the Romsey festivals of 2021 and 2023 but many shops have chosen to keep the posters on display. We hope to present fuller histories of the buildings on a new website in the future.

At the moment some work has been done on the Market Place, Church Street, Bell Street and Church Lane but many buildings need further research. Some members of our research group are working specifically on the house or street where they live. We meet regularly on the first Thursday of the month in Romsey Town Hall basement, 10am to 12 noon. Please come along and join us if you would like to be involved.