About our service
Volunteers | Service Charter | Collection Policy | Preservation Policy | Public Task Statement | Access Policy
The Cheshire Archives & Local Studies service identifies, collects and cares for archives and publications that are the evidence of Cheshire communities’ lives past and present. We deliver access for all to our collections for information, learning and enjoyment and work to make sure archives survive so that future generations will be able to do the same.
We are a shared service of Cheshire West and Chester and Cheshire East Councils.
The service is also responsible for delivering the archives service for Warrington and Halton boroughs.
Want to review our service? You can leave a review on Google or contact us directly with any feedback.
Cheshire's archives: a story shared
Central to our vision for Cheshire’s archives is providing new premises for the Archives service, its activities and the collections, and bringing collections closer to people. The project is supported by the National Lottery Heritage Fund and fits closely with their aims and ambitions for people, heritage and communities that have been developed with input from National Lottery players.
We have been awarded a development phase grant of £544,000 to progress our project to create two new history centres in Chester and Crewe.
The grant will help fund the development of plans for the new centres in more detail and pilot a range of activities across both boroughs to engage people with their histories through archives.
A further grant application to the National Lottery Heritage Fund in the second half of 2022 will, if successful, fund the delivery of the project.
Latest update: Summer 2022
We are currently bidding for funding from the National Lottery Heritage Fund to support the building of new history centres in Chester and Crewe, and to expand our services and activities. On Thursday 14 July, from 2pm until 7pm, you can drop-in to Crewe Market Hall, and see some of the plans and designs for the proposed building, learn about the impact it will have on the surrounding space, and find out more about the activities we plan to carry out in one of our new homes. This is your chance to give feedback on our proposal, find out more, and have your say.
Not able to make it? On the same day we will be launching a website where you can find out more and make comments. Watch this space for more details.
Have you ever wanted to know more about your family’s past? Or maybe fancied finding out who lived in your house before you did? Perhaps you wanted to know what Crewe looked like 100 years ago? Crewe Do You Think You Are, running on Tuesday 9 August, from 11am until 3pm, at Crewe Library, is your chance to dig into the past!
At this drop-in event, Cheshire Archives and Local Studies and Crewe Library will be on hand to help you find out what you want to know. Our experts will be able to offer you advice and walk you through some of the steps to discover more. We’ll have plenty of documents, pictures, guides, and maps which will help you find out about your ancestors, your home, and your community. One of our archivists, Adam Shaw, will give a presentation on researching your house history on the day.
This event is being run as part of the National Lottery Heritage Fund-backed ‘Cheshire’s Archives: A Story Shared’ project and gives local residents a chance to see the kind of activities we’ll run from our new Crewe history centre.
Find out more
The best way to keep in touch is via our social media channels and via our Newsletter, which you can subscribe to here. You can also get in touch about the project via archivesproject@cheshiresharedservices.gov.uk.
Frequently asked questions relating to the move.
This website is run in partnership between Cheshire West and Chester and Cheshire East Councils.
Curiouser and Curiouser: Stories from our Collections
Photo exhibitions on Flickr