History built on history as new cultural attraction reveals more about county’s past

A new heritage centre will lift the lid on over 1,000 years of Staffordshire’s history when it opens to the public on 6 November.

The new £8.7 million Staffordshire History Centre project has been delivered by Staffordshire County Council and funded by The National Lottery Heritage Fund with a grant of £4,858,699.

Located on Eastgate Street in Stafford, the new centre includes modern search and learning rooms, strong rooms capable of holding up to a further 50 years of archives and a bright exhibition space for displays and temporary exhibitions.

During the groundworks for the new strongroom, small pieces of Anglo-Saxon pottery were discovered.  This pottery dates back almost 1,500 years, and no Anglo-Saxon finds of this date have previously been found in Stafford. They may be small in scale, but these pieces of pottery hint at where settlement in the town was concentrated prior to the construction of the defensive burh in 913AD.

The new centre will be open Tuesday to Saturday from 10am to 4pm and is free to visit. Pop up activities will mark the opening month with more events planned for next year. A new website will be launching during opening week and people can stay up to date on the Staffordshire History Centre blog.

Councillor Victoria Wilson, Cabinet Member for Communities and Culture at Staffordshire County Council said: “We’re incredibly proud of our fascinating history here in Staffordshire and can’t wait until we open next week.

“We’re all incredibly excited about the new centre that will allow us to preserve our amazing collections while our outreach activities will help us reach local communities and schools and get many more people excited about our history.  We’re extremely grateful for the funding from the Heritage Fund and we can’t wait to welcome people to the centre.”

The adjacent restored William Salt Library building, part of the new centre, showcases William Salt’s unique collection and the history of the library building itself, which has been cherished by local residents for decades.

Mithra Tonking Chair of the William Salt Library said: “Thanks to this fantastic project, the heritage William Salt Library building, which is owned by a charitable trust, has been restored to new uses. It will also tell the history of the much-loved building within Stafford’s past and showcase the unique William Salt Library collection.

“This important and varied collection about Staffordshire’s history will now be stored within the new strongrooms at the History Centre and will be readily available to researchers, after a major cataloguing programme.”

Julian Glover, Trustee and Chair of the England, Midlands & East Committee, The National Lottery Heritage Fund said: “We are thrilled that the new Staffordshire History Centre will open after a £4.8million investment from The National Lottery Heritage Fund. Thanks to National Lottery players, state of the art archive and collection facilities will ensure that communities and visitors of all ages can delve deep into Staffordshire’s fascinating past.”

Combining three important collections from the Staffordshire and Stoke-on-Trent Archive Service, the County Museum, and the William Salt Library, the new History Centre will offer visitors the chance to access and research fascinating archives and artefacts that tell the story of Staffordshire’s past.

Some exhibits on display include a Spider Phaeton Carriage from 1890, Charles I silk night cap from 1630s and a James Brindley notebook from 1772.   The will of Wulfric Spot which confirms a grant of land on which Burton Abbey was founded is also on display. This document is over 1,000 years old.

Not just a place of historical collections but the new centre also features a remodelled research room, perfect for local historians, genealogists, and academics to delve deep into Staffordshire’s past. Bookings are now open for researchers who wish to consult original documents.

The new education and learning space will host a range of school programmes, workshops, and events designed for all ages. During November and December there will be a range of activities for visitors to join in with including spotlight talks and family friendly crafts.

For more information please visit: Staffordshire History Centre