The project to replace the Cheshire Record Office with the new centres will enable people to celebrate their personal and local communities’ histories.

Through the work of Cheshire Archives and Local Studies – a shared service of Cheshire East and Cheshire West and Chester Councils – the people of Cheshire will enjoy greater access to the county’s unique and irreplaceable written and pictorial history, as well as benefitting from more opportunities to interact with them more easily.

Once the history centres are completed, there will be an improved outreach and digital programme to extend access to the archives across Cheshire and further afield. There will be better spaces for staff and volunteers to work with the collections, more spaces for research, performances and exhibitions, and opportunities to develop and exchange skills.

Creative engagement

National Lottery funding will also contribute to a programme of new activities across the county until March 2027.

During the project’s development to date, Cheshire Archives have used new and creative approaches to engaging people with the collections.

One example was the team’s work with theatre chef Leo Burtin, who previously worked on events and food-based programmes with Manchester Jewish Museum.

The team drew on historic recipes from the archives dating back to the 18th century, including a hearty mushroom ragu and a berry syrup. Leo hosted a live, digital ‘cookalong’ where he shared the histories of these recipes and people discussed the health benefits of different types of foods.