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Work on the new centres for Cheshire Archives is well underway, this 30m tall piling rig recently completed drilling the foundations in Hoole, Chester.
Site preparation work has also started at Crewe and is going well.
Searchroom news
Our amber-tinted Searchroom image indicates that in-person access to the collections is now closed.
Although the Record Office closed to the public on 8 August our online services are not affected, and you are still able to order copies of documents and request research services (until the image turns red at the start of 2026 to indicate full closure!). Libraries across Cheshire will continue to provide access to local history books and maps as well as providing free access to family history websites.
Our latest stories shared
As we prepare to move to new premises in both Chester and Crewe, many people have asked which of our collections will go to which building? A Moving Story explains how we’ve decided where each collection will be stored.
To mark LGBT+ History Month, we gave a presentation at Storyhouse in Chester about 400 Years of LGBTQ+ histories in Cheshire. Read about our vibrant celebration of lives and legacies from the past in Archives in Action: History, Herstory, Theirstory.
One of our family-focussed activities is the chance to try your hand at old handwriting using a feather quill and a choice of wax seal. To complete the authentic experience our Conservation team make up batches of iron gall ink using historical recipes. Archives in Action: Signed and sealed
Mystery images
#MysteryImageMonday has restarted for 2025, with a new venue over on our Facebook page. We are using some negatives we’ve been unable to identify from our collections work; you may have read about this progress in our recent blog! Below are two as-yet-to-be identified images, let us know if you recognise them!
Farewell Dan
On Thursday 13th February we said goodbye to Dan Edmonds, one of our Community Engagement Officers who has left to take up a Postdoctoral Research Associate position based in Manchester. Dan built relationships with many people and community groups across Cheshire. His work to find out how people want to work with us has been central to the success of ‘Cheshire’s archives: a story shared’ and we wish him all the best for the future.
