Suffolk County Council’s Record Office, in partnership with University Campus Suffolk, has been awarded initial support from HLF for their £10.3million project The Hold.

The Hold

The ambitious project will bring together the majority of the county’s archives – which includes more than nine miles of material spanning nine centuries – under one roof.

The flagship heritage facility, located on the university’s north campus beside Ipswich historic Waterfront, will house the bulk of Suffolk’s nationally and internationally significant archives and a range of archaeological records.

Jewels of the collections include its maritime records, manorial records from the medieval period, and the papers of some of the most illustrious families of England, such as the de Saumarez family and the Marquesses of Bristol.

State-of-the-art learning facilities will bring the county’s history to life for visitors of all ages and become a key cultural resource for Suffolk.

Mapping Suffolk’s stories

The project will also bring those stories out and about.

An outreach programme called Mapping Suffolk’s Stories will see members of the community get to grips with their history by helping to explore and digitise the extensive historical map collection.

Robyn Llewellyn, Head of HLF East of England, said: “Suffolk Record Office holds precious resources telling fascinating stories. The Hold will be a beacon of discovery for everyone and throughout the county people will be able to get involved in using historic maps to learn about their own local area. Thanks to National Lottery players we’re delighted to offer our support to this partnership project and look forward to seeing the plans develop.”

The Hold is aiming to open its doors in time for the 900th anniversary of the Record Office’s oldest document, in 2019.