Research Diary & Community Stories

Every community carries knowledge that never quite makes it into official records. It lives instead in the things people say to each other, in the directions given using landmarks that only locals recognise, in the stories told about what a particular field was once called and why, in the habits and gatherings that mark the turning of the year. This kind of knowledge is real, and it matters. But it is also fragile. It depends on people continuing to tell it. This post is abou

One of the things I feel most strongly about in this research is that it should genuinely belong to the people it is about. The Oracle of Place isn't something being done to or for  Kington; it's something being built with  Kington, from the ground up, one story at a time. If you've ever wondered whether your memories, experiences, or knowledge of local places might be worth sharing, I want you to know: they are. This post explains the two ways you can get involved at this st

Hello, I'm Rebecca Burns and I am delighted to be beginning this research together with the community of Kington. I wanted to write this post early in the project because I think it matters that you know something about who I am, what brought me here, and why this place and this research question mean so much to me personally. Research is shaped by the person doing it, and thought you might be interested in my 'why'. How I Came to Herefordshire I first came to Herefordshire o

The name might be unfamiliar, so let me explain what this project called 'Oracle of Place', actually is, what it is trying to do, and why it matters, both as a piece of research and as something that belongs to Kington. Starting with the Cards At the centre of this project will be a set of oracle cards. Each card will feature a real place, route, landscape, or landmark from in and around Kington, and each of these will be rooted in the stories and memories of people who know