Much information about the people of Alston Moor can be found in its graveyards. Eden District Council currently hold the records for the Cemetries

There are five.
1) St Augustine's churchyard
2) Alston Cemetery.
3) Garrigill churchyard,
4) Garrigill Cemetery and
5) Nenthead Cemetery.

This link needs updating as Eden District Council is now Westmorland and Furness Council. We will update this as soon as the Council changes it.

CASCAT is the Cumbria Archives Catalogue.

This online catalogue contains over 800,000 descriptions of historic records kept at our Archive Centres in Barrow, Carlisle, Kendal and Whitehaven.

New collections contains recent important additions and new catalogues. The Image Gallery contains a few significant items from the holdings. And the Family History indexes, includes newspapers and cemeteries.

The catalogue database is updated daily. All catalogue data is in the copyright of Cumberland and Westmorland and Furness Councils.

The catalogue describes records held at our Woodhorn and Berwick-upon-Tweed offices. The catalogue entry records where the item is held.

The catalogue contains collection, file and item level descriptions of many of the collections in our care. These include born digital collections, manuscripts, maps and plans, photographs, printed collections and other types of material held by us. In total there are approximately 400,000 entries in the catalogue.

Durham County Record Office is the council archive service for County Durham and Darlington.

It was established in 1961, and is located in County Hall, Durham City.

We collect and preserve records of: the present County Durham and Darlington the historic county of Durham (before 1974) between the Rivers Tyne and Tees.

Our archive collections span 900 years, from about 1122 to the present day, and occupy almost six miles (9 km) of shelving. The records are stored in strong rooms where they are protected from theft and fire, and where the temperature and humidity are controlled.

Mining the Past, Forging the Future...

The Mining Institute is the Royal Chartered membership organisation for science and technology in the North. Founded in 1852 by the most important contemporary Northern scientists and engineers, by becoming a member you can follow in their footsteps to help shape the future of industrial heritage and cutting-edge science in the North.

They hold regular talks and events on all aspects of science and technology and have lots of opportunities for you to get involved further.

Find out more about the benefits of membership and become a member today!

We make our collections accessible to all for the purposes of academic and community research, and provide catalogues to them online.

In accordance with standard professional practice our catalogues will reflect the language of the collection and of its original creators; additionally, the catalogues may have been written many years ago when the collection was first received by the university.

Voices, objects and images from the past can display attitudes, opinions and relate to events which may be viewed as biased and offensive in today’s society

The British Library is the national library of the United Kingdom and one of the world's largest and most significant research libraries. Established by the British Library Act of 1972 and officially organised on July 1, 1973, it unified various collections previously held by different institutions.

Collections: It houses an extensive collection of over 170 million items, including more than 13 million books, manuscripts, maps, newspapers, magazines, prints, drawings, and sound recordings in various languages.
Legal deposit: As a legal deposit library, it receives copies of all books produced in the United Kingdom and Ireland, as well as many overseas titles distributed in the UK.

The National Archives (TNA) is the official government archive of the United Kingdom.

The key points about it:
- It is the guardian of some of the UK's most iconic national documents dating back over 1,000 years, ranging from the Domesday Book to present-day government records.
- It is a non-ministerial department, acting as the official archive and publisher for the UK government and for England and Wales.
TNA holds over 11 million records created by the UK central government, agencies, and the legal system of England and Wales. These include military, immigration, census, and institutional records among others.

HM Land Registry was established in 1862 to register land and property ownership in England and Wales. Around 2,000 individual properties were registered in England & Wales. Each registered property was given a unique reference number or 'Title Number'.

The original records are in 272 volumes, containing a mix of handwritten or typed pages made from parchment, waxed linen or paper, and printed documents and deed plans. The digital version is an exact replica of the original paper version.

The archives contain records relating to the registration of land titles, including title deeds, plans, legal documents, and administrative files.

British History Online is a comprehensive digital library focused on the history of Great Britain and Ireland. Here are the key features and details of this resource:

It contains nearly 1,300 volumes of primary and secondary sources.
The collection primarily focuses on the period between 1300 and 1800, but also covers other eras.
It includes materials on British and Irish history, as well as histories of the British Empire and the British world

The Internet Archive is a non-profit digital library founded in 1996 with the mission of providing universal access to all knowledge. It is building a digital archive of websites, books, audio, video, software, and other cultural artifacts in digital form.

It has captured over 835 billion webpages and digitized over 44 million books and texts, 15 million audio recordings, 10.6 million videos, 4.8 million images, and 1 million software programs.

It allows the public to upload and access digital materials for free, while also crawling and archiving publicly available websites.
Major projects include the Wayback Machine for archived websites, Open Library for borrowing ebooks, and TV News Archive for searchable television news.

It is a digital library and search engine that provides full-text searches and previews of millions of books and magazines.
Google has scanned over 40 million books from various libraries and publishers around the world.
Books are provided either by publishers through the Partner Program or scanned from library collections through the Library Project.

The goal is to create a comprehensive virtual library and catalog of all books, making it easier to discover relevant books that may be out of print or hard to find. It aims to expand access to books while respecting copyright laws.

Google Scholar is a powerful tool for quickly searching and accessing scholarly literature from various reputable sources across disciplines, while keeping in mind its limitations compared to subscription academic databases.

It searches across many disciplines and sources including online repositories, academic publishers, universities, and other scholarly websites.

It indexes the full text or metadata of scholarly publications, allowing searches within the full text of articles.

The British Newspaper Archive is an online database that provides access to digitized archives of British and Irish newspapers dating back to the 18th century. Here are the key details about it:
Launched in November 2011, it is a partnership between the British Library and Findmypast (formerly Brightsolid) to digitize the British Library's vast newspaper collection.

It contains over 39 million scanned pages from historical newspapers, including major national titles like The Times as well as many local and regional papers. The digitized collection spans from the 1700s to the early 2000s, with some key holdings like the Burney Collection of 17th-19th century newspapers and the Thomason Tracts of 17th century news pamphlets.

The Teesdale Mercury Archive is a free-to-search online database containing digitized editions of the Teesdale Mercury newspaper from 1854 to 1954. It serves as a central resource for accessing historical records, documents, and photographs related to the Teesdale area of England.

The Archive is a valuable resource for researchers, genealogists, and anyone interested in exploring the history and heritage of the Teesdale region, as it provides access to a wealth of historical information from a local newspaper spanning over a century.

Archi UK is a comprehensive database and mapping system containing over 200,000 records of archaeological, historic, and cultural sites across England, Scotland, and Wales. It provides detailed information, including locations, descriptions, and associated finds for these sites. It is subscription based.

Includes:- Database of over 200,000 UK sites, regularly updated. Precise GPS coordinates and map references. Access to aerial photos, LiDAR data, and historical maps. Search functionality by location or criteria. Information on archaeological finds and artifacts. Interpretation of place names and their origins

The Archaeology Data Service (ADS) is an open access digital archive for archaeological research outputs located at the University of York. Established in 1996 to provide guidance on creating and managing digital datasets. The ADS curates digital outputs from archaeological researchers in the UK's higher education sector, as well as material from national and local government and the commercial archaeology sector.

Information on approximately 3,000 archaeological collections, including evidence of Roman coins, medieval agricultural practices, major infrastructure projects like HS2, and the archaeology of Easter Island.

The Portable Antiquities Scheme (PAS) is a voluntary programme run by the UK government to record archaeological objects found by members of the public, primarily metal detectorists. Its key aspects are:
Purpose
• To advance knowledge of the history and archaeology of England and Wales by systematically recording finds made by the public.
• To raise public awareness of the educational value of archaeological finds and facilitate research.
• To increase opportunities for public involvement in archaeology and strengthen links between metal detectorists and archaeologists.

The National Library of Scotland (NLS) is one of the country's National Collections and one of the largest libraries in the United Kingdom.

It holds over 24 million items in various formats including books, manuscripts, postcards, photographs, newspapers, and over 46,000 videos and films in Scotland's Moving Image Archive. Notable items in its collection include copies of the Gutenberg Bible, Charles Darwin's letter submitting the manuscript of "On the Origin of Species", the First Folio of Shakespeare, and the last letter written by Mary Queen of Scots. It has the largest collection of Scottish Gaelic material of any library in the world.

Old Maps Online provides a user-friendly platform to explore and access a wealth of historical maps from renowned collections, making it a valuable resource for researchers, historians, genealogists, and map enthusiasts alike

Ordnance Survey maps of the UK from various time periods.

Maps from the British Library, National Library of Scotland, and other UK institutions.

County maps, town plans, estate maps, and other local maps of the UK.

Maps from international partners covering other parts of the world.

Ancestry.com has grown to become the largest genealogy service globally, offering DNA testing, historical records access, and tools for building family trees and discovering ancestry.

Its extensive database and range of services make it a popular choice for genealogical research. It provides access to over 30 billion historical records from various sources. Users can build family trees, search records, view hints, and collaborate with others. The company adds around 2 million new records daily

FreeCEN is a valuable resource for genealogists and family historians researching their UK ancestors from the 19th century. It provides free access to census data that would otherwise require paid subscriptions or visits to archives.

It provides access to transcribed census data from 1841, 1851, 1861, 1871, and 1891 censuses.
The census records contain information like full names, ages, relationships, occupations, birthplaces, marital status, and disabilities of individuals. Users can search the database by various filters such as name, location, marital status, occupation, and disability

Beamish Museum is an open-air living museum located near Stanley in County Durham, England. It showcases everyday life in urban and rural North East England during the peak of industrialisation in the early 20th century, with a focus on the late Victorian and Edwardian eras.

Size and scope: The museum spans 350 acres (140 hectares) of Durham countryside.
Exhibits: It features a mix of relocated original buildings, replicas, and a large collection of artifacts, working vehicles, equipment, and livestock

he Beamish People's Collection is a comprehensive archive that captures the social, rural, and industrial life of the North East of England. This collection is part of the Beamish Museum, an open-air museum dedicated to preserving the region's history and heritage.

Contains approximately 800 tapes., preserves memories, stories, dialects, music, and songs of the North East people, encompasses items from the 1600s to the present day, includes artifacts related to social, rural, and industrial life. And features a vast collection of images depicting places and people in the North East.

The Dukesfield Smelters and Carriers Project aimed to celebrate and discover the heritage of the Dukesfield Arches & lead carriers' routes between Blaydon and the lead mines of Allendale and Weardale.

A two year community project, it was led by the Friends of the North Pennines in partnership with Hexhamshire and Slaley Parish Councils and the active support of Allendale Estates.

It was funded by the Heritage Lottery Fund and the generous support of other sponsors.

The Nenthead Mines Conservation Society, a charitable organisation, owns and operates most of the historically significant parts of the valley.

The site features extensive remains from the lead and zinc mining industry, including:
Mine entrances, watercourses, dressing-floors, historic buildings.
Geological interest: The area is famous for its unique geological features.
Ecological significance: The metal-rich mine dumps support rare lichens and plants, contributing to the site's biodiversity.

Mindat.org claims to be the largest mineral database and mineralogical reference website on the internet. It is crowd-sourced and expert-reviewed, ensuring high data quality. The database is widely used by professional mineralogists, geologists, and amateur mineral collectors, and is frequently referenced in scientific publications.

The site includes:
Around 300,000 mineral localities
Over 1.2 million mineral-locality pairs
Nearly a million photographs
Information on Apollo lunar samples and meteorites

The Northern Mine Research Society (NMRS) is a group dedicated to preserving and documenting mining history. Despite its name, the term "Northern" refers to the society's administrative base rather than limiting its focus to a specific geographical area.

The NMRS engages in various activities to fulfill its mission:
Preservation: The society works to preserve mining history and related information.
Recording: They document mining history through various means.
Research: Members conduct research on mining-related topics.

The Durham Mining Museum, located in Spennymoor Town Hall, County Durham, is dedicated to preserving the history and heritage of mining in Northern England. The museum, which opened in 1998, features a wide array of artifacts, equipment, models, photographs, and information related to mining. It covers the mining history of most of the North of England.

It has mining artifacts and models of machines and a simulated underground coalface and tunnel, complete with a life-sized model pit pony and coal tub. It also serves as a memorial to over 24,000 men, women, and children who lost their lives in mining-related accidents in the North of England since 1293.

Buddle Pit serves as a platform for active explorers to share information, discuss findings, and connect with like-minded individuals interested in mine exploration.

For those interested in mine exploration, Buddle Pit offers a focused environment to engage with others who share this passion, exchange knowledge, and potentially collaborate on exploration projects.

The forum covers various areas of interest, including:
General mining discussions
Mineral and gangue identification
Area-specific mine chat
Special topics related to mining

The Weardale Museum is a small but fascinating volunteer-run folk museum located in Ireshopeburn, County Durham. It is dedicated

The Weardale Tapestry: A beautiful 16-foot freestyle embroidery depicting Weardale's history.
Lead miner's kitchen display: Showcasing the daily life of local miners.
World War I commemoration: A special display remembering Weardale soldiers who died, featuring stories, images, and artifacts. A large collection of Weardale family history materials, including a database of 70,000 individuals and contains various exhibits related to mining, local history, and archaeological finds.

A Vision of Britain Through Time is a comprehensive online resource that provides a wealth of historical information about Britain from 1801 to 2001. This digital platform offers users access to a vast collection of maps, statistical trends, and historical descriptions covering nearly every settlement in Britain.

The project is a significant technical achievement, linking various visual and textual resources to create a comprehensive historical database. It serves as a valuable tool for researchers, historians, and anyone interested in exploring Britain's past through multiple perspectives.

The Key to English Place-Names (KEPN) is an online resource developed by the University of Nottingham, providing detailed information on the origins, meanings, and etymology of place names across England. Initially funded by the Arts and Humanities Research Council (AHRC) and launched in 2004-2005, the database was re-launched in 2012 with a user-friendly Google Maps interface.

Coverage of approximately 14,000 place names.

The Viking Network Web is an online resource dedicated to exploring Viking history and culture. It provides information on various aspects of Viking life, including their travels, ships, religion, and everyday activities. The website aims to separate myth from fact and offers a comprehensive starting point for those interested in learning about the Vikings

It also does a list of Viking place name in England and the UK

FamilySearch is a nonprofit organization and website offering genealogical records, education, and software. It is operated by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church) and provides free access to its resources and services online at FamilySearch.org.

Historical Records: The website offers access to billions of digital images and indexes of genealogical records, including digitized books, microfilm, and other digital records.
FamilySearch Family Tree: This is a unified database aiming to contain one entry for each person recorded in genealogical records. Users can add persons, link them to existing entries, merge duplicates, and attach sources, images, and audio files

Findmypast is a UK-based online genealogy service that provides access to billions of searchable records, including census data, birth, marriage, and death records, military records, and more. It is owned by the British company DC Thomson since 2007 and has a significant focus on records from the former British Empire and the UK.

Census Records, Scottish census records from 1841 to 1901, available as transcripts.
Birth, Marriage, and Death Records: Domestic and overseas records, including births at sea and military deaths.
Passenger Lists: Electoral Rolls.

GENUKI is a comprehensive genealogy web portal that serves as a virtual reference library for genealogical information, particularly relevant to the UK and Ireland. It is a non-commercial service maintained by a charitable trust and a group of volunteers.
Structure and Content

United Kingdom and Ireland: General information applicable to all regions.
Individual Countries: Information for each pre-1974 county of England and Wales, each pre-1975 county of Scotland, each of the 32 counties of Ireland, and each island of the Channel Islands. Towns or Parishes: Detailed information for each town or parish within the counties.

Historic England is an executive non-departmental public body of the British Government sponsored by the Department for Culture, Media and Sport. Its primary mission is to protect and preserve England's historic environment

The organization aims to champion historic places and help people understand, value, and care for England's heritage. It offers various resources and programs, including the National Blue Plaque Scheme, career development opportunities in the heritage sector, and initiatives to promote diversity and inclusion in heritage

Cumbria has two main environmental record systems:
The Historic Environment Record (HER):
The Cumbria HER is a database containing information on over 17,000 archaeological sites, finds, landscapes, buildings and other aspects of the historic environment in Cumbria.

The Cumbria Biodiversity Data Centre (CBDC):
Holds over 2.6 million wildlife records for Cumbria
Collects and disseminates records of wildlife in the county
Provides a local biodiversity data service

Both systems play important roles in cataloging and preserving information about Cumbria's natural and historical environment. The HER focuses on archaeological and historical sites, while the CBDC concentrates on current wildlife and habitat data.

County Durham and Northumberland both maintain Historic Environment Records (HERs) that provide valuable information about the archaeological and historical sites in these regions:
The Keys to the Past website offers access to selected records from the HERs of both County Durham and Northumberland. This resource covers a wide range of archaeological and historical sites, from prehistoric flints to World War II pillboxes.

Both counties are currently undertaking major HER enhancement projects:
Durham County Council's Archaeology Section began a project in 2019 to update and enhance their HER.
Northumberland County Council started a similar project in 2021, expected to last two years.

Heritage Gateway is an online platform that provides access to a wealth of information about England's historic sites and buildings. This comprehensive resource allows users to cross-search over 60 different databases, offering both local and national information related to England's heritage.

The platform enables users to:
Search for information on historic sites and buildings
View images of listed buildings
Access local Historic Environment Record (HER) data
Explore Historic England Research Records (formerly known as PastScape results)

County Durham and Northumberland both maintain Historic Environment Records (HERs) that provide valuable information about the archaeological and historical sites in these regions:
The Keys to the Past website offers access to selected records from the HERs of both County Durham and Northumberland. This resource covers a wide range of archaeological and historical sites, from prehistoric flints to World War II pillboxes.

Both counties are currently undertaking major HER enhancement projects:
Durham County Council's Archaeology Section began a project in 2019 to update and enhance their HER.
Northumberland County Council started a similar project in 2021, expected to last two years.