BACKGROUND
Benchmark House Histories was set up in 2010, when Carol created a photographic book about her parents’ home as a gift. A chance meeting with a researcher and writer friend, who had just undertaken a similar project for her husband, led to an idea: to combine historical research, storytelling, photography and design to create beautifully made books capturing the history of a home, the people who lived there and the lives they led.
Benchmark offers an entirely bespoke service, combining historical research, storytelling, photography and design to create beautifully produced records of a home or property.
Each project begins with professionally researched narrative history, bringing together archival material such as historic maps, deeds, valuation records, surveys, census returns and sale particulars, alongside photographs, illustrations and other material relating to the property and the people who lived or worked there. The finished history is presented as an individually designed hardback book or as a professionally produced print, with photography available as part of selected packages.
We have worked on a remarkably varied range of properties, from cottages to castles. Our first project was Chilham Castle in Kent; since then, we have researched Victorian and Georgian houses, mills, rectories, thatched cottages, court lodges, medieval hall houses, forges and many more. You can see a selection of our past book projects here.
Our work has been featured in the Financial Times (1 March 2025), Telegraph, Sunday Times, Independent, Tatler, Country Life, House & Garden, Grand Designs and Period Living, as well as on BBC TV South East.
