OU on the BBC: Well Connected - Wollaston Hall

The Open University

Wollaston in the Midlands has a long history with records dating back to the 7th century. In the 17th century a manor house, Wollaston Hall, dominated village life, but in the 1920s it was sold, dismantled and taken away. Nobody knows its whereabouts.

Local historians are eager to locate the hall and solve the mystery. They've turned to computers and the Internet to aid their search. Dr Paul Collins is Chairman of the History of Wollaston Group and a lecturer in industrial archaeology. He knows the value of the Internet as a research tool, especially mailing lists.The group have mailed local historical societies across America and had their story published in 40 papers. To date they've received hundreds of e-mails from people who believe they know where the hall is. With the power of the Internet it will only be a matter of time before the the mystery of Wollaston is solved. 

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