ACADEMICS at Winchester University have been commended for their contribution to an international history debate which has led to a better understanding of 15th century England.

As part of the history department's submission to the university's 2014 Research Excellence Framework, Emeritus professor Michael Hicks and senior lecturer Dr James Ross have worked on The Mapping the Medieval Countryside project

The collaboration with King's College London has digitised the published inquisitions post-mortem for 1236-1509 on British History Online.

Their work means that information which was only recently accessible in libraries has been made available worldwide free of charge for the first time.

Professor Hicks said: “Winchester's historians have been rigorously trained and contribute to historical advances. It is wonderful to have the quality of our research acknowledged as world-leading, both through competitive Arts and Humanities Research Council grants, and now formally in the REF ratings.

“It will encourage us to build on these excellent results in the future.”

Professor Hicks has written several books on the War of the Roses and his biographies of 15th century royals, such as Richard III, Anne Neville and Edward V: The Prince in the Tower, have sold in their thousands.

Anne Neville revealed that Richard III never legalised his marriage to his sister-in-law and wanted to marry his niece next.

Dr Ross works on the late medieval nobility, including his recently published book on John de Vere, Thirteenth Earl of Oxford, 1442-1513.

Other research submitted to the REF included works by researcher Dr Winifred Harwood, who has been working on the Overland Trade Project to shows the inland trade of Southampton between 1430-1530.