County’s heritage attraction celebrates its first birthday

Families, staff and volunteers came together at the new Staffordshire History Centre to celebrate one year since it opened its doors.

Children took part in a morning of crafts and object handling activities, while staff gave mini tours of the centre’s conservation studio and strongrooms.

The £8.7 million project, made possible through a grant of £4.8 million from The National Lottery Heritage Fund, opened to the public in November 2024. The centre includes a modern exhibition space, research rooms, new strong rooms for future collections as well as an extensive programme of community outreach activities.

Since opening, the centre has had more than 16,000 visits, had over 2,500 bookings of the research rooms and seen more than 30,000 online catalogue sessions. Over 70 different events and four exhibitions have taken place including activities like historic walks and pop-up displays, all  helping to promote the county’s rich history.  A Vicious Victorians family fun day during the summer attracted more than 200 people including children, a key audience for the centre.

Hayley Coles, Cabinet Member for Communities and Culture at Staffordshire County Council, met with staff and visitors at the event.

Hayley said:

“It’s hard to believe that we’re celebrating the centre’s first 12 months, but it’s been such a successful and busy time.

“Having visited the centre many times now, I continue to be amazed with what’s on offer. It’s brilliant to see so many of our archives and historic items on display. There’s also lots of different activities including  family history sessions to take part in and we are adding new events and changing displays all the time.

“The number of visitors and positive comments we’ve had is a testament to the hard work of the staff and volunteers.  They provide a vital role not only in promoting our fascinating past, but as custodians of thousands of historic and precious objects and documents for future generations to enjoy.”

Liz Bates, Director, England, Midlands & East at The National Heritage Lottery Fund, said:

“Congratulations to Staffordshire History Centre on a successful and busy first year. It’s great to see the state-of-the-art archive and exhibition facilities that were made possible thanks to National Lottery funding helping a broad variety of visitors connect with Staffordshire’s past.”

Visitor feedback remains incredibly high with 94.5% of people satisfied with their experience.  The centre also received strong positive feedback from researchers and history groups and has undertaken more collaborative research with professional scholars.

Another achievement is the centre’s attainment of accredited museum status shortly after opening, having shown excellent diligence in managing its exhibits and providing exceptional customer service.

The new Staffordshire History Centre project also has helped preserve the much-loved William Salt Library building, which is an integral part of the new centre.

Mithra Tonking, Chair of the William Salt Library, said:

“The refurbished ground floor rooms of the historic building provide welcome visitor space for refreshments and toilets. They provide a wonderful experience of the house, both as an important residential building through several centuries, and as a home for the unique William Salt Library Collection from 1918.”

The new history centre can be found on Eastgate Street in Stafford, where it is open Tuesday to Saturday 10am until 4pm.  More information can be found on the centre’s website.