In 1999–2000, a pilot study was conducted to assess the feasibility of using local historical archives and oral histories to map historical factors that may be important in understanding contemporary variations in health. Focusing on housing clearances in the 1950s, 1960s and 1970s, the pilot study drew on a wide range of materials (documentary and oral) to explore how changes to local housing impacted upon the local social and psychological landscape. This research note considers methodological issues relevant to the use of documentary and oral history resources and illustrates the value of the historical resources we identified. We suggest that, on the basis of this pilot research, future explorations of the link between places and inequalities in health should incorporate an historical analysis.