Research by Professor Humphrey Southall has pioneered the creation of accessible and searchable digital web databases that reflect how places have changed with time. These have been used directly by national and international libraries to improve access to their archives and collections and to extend their services. Data from ‘GB1900’, the world’s largest historical gazetteer, has been included in national regulation to preserve Welsh naming of properties and streets and in the identification of 49,000 miles of missing rights of way in England and Wales. These projects, and volunteer engagement with citizen geography, have enhanced cultural understanding and awareness of cultural heritage.