Somerset Voices Oral History Archive
The Somerset Voices archive is a unique collection of over 800 recordings of twentieth century Somerset life. Recordings began in the 1970s and continued into the 2010s, and the collection captures the distinctive life of Somerset people, told through their own memories and voices.
The recordings give details of past occupations, pastimes, customs and events. Somerset’s horsehair weaving, basket-making, willow industry, peat-digging, wassailing, farming and cider-making are all described. Listening to the archive allows you to discover how major events touched the lives of ordinary people. What impact did World War II have on Somerset? How did the arrival of tractors change farming in the county?
About the archive
Most of the interviews in the collection were carried out by Ann Heeley, a local historian and Friend of the Somerset Rural Life Museum. Other recordings have been donated by individuals and local history groups.
The recordings cover all parts of Somerset and are particularly strong for the Somerset Levels and Glastonbury area.
In 2005 the then Somerset Heritage Service received a Heritage Lottery Fund grant to preserve the archive and greatly improve access by: creating digital copies of the recordings all with full transcripts, making those recordings available for research at the Somerset Record Office (now the Somerset Heritage Centre), and creating a searchable online catalogue. The project was also accompanied by a website, a touring exhibition and contributions to a World War II resource pack for primary schools.
The project was carried out in partnership with the Friends of the Somerset Rural Life Museum who provided voluntary support and funding.
Using the archive
Search the catalogue of the recordings. Each catalogue entry contains a brief description of the content of the recording, and many of the recordings are accompanied by photographs and transcripts.
The recordings can be listened to and transcripts and photographs consulted at the Somerset Heritage Centre, please see our visiting page for details.
All recordings are under copyright and are for private listening only. Requests for any use other than private listening need to be made in writing to the Somerset Archive and Local Studies Service. All views expressed in the recordings are those of the contributors.
