The Wiltshire and Swindon History Centre
Welcome to the History Centre, your passport to the past
The Wiltshire & Swindon History Centre is open to the public on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Fridays, 9.30am to 5pm, and on the first Saturday of the month. Whether a first-time visitor or a regular you are assured a warm and friendly welcome from our staff who are on hand to answer your queries and help you make the most of your time in the search room.
Ahead of your visit you can search our online archive catalogue.
It is advisable to book your archives and local studies visit in advance by contacting us by email or telephone. If you have any problems or queries please get in touch by email in the first instance or telephone 01249 705500.
Latest News
Goldmines found in ephemera: an excellent resource for social history
The Association of British Columbia Archivists, defines ephemera as ‘those every day, impermanent items’ like ‘brochures, tickets, programmes, published reports, handbills, menus, advertisements, posters, and other miscellaneous printed or published items.’ Ephemera are not quite archives (which are original, unique and irreplaceable) but are often mass-produced materials which are [...]
A visit to Wiltshire’s museums
What’s the best bit about your job? As Conservation and Museum Manager, the best thing about mine is getting out and about to the museums in Wiltshire, talking to inspirational and enthusiastic staff and volunteers about how they run their museums, looking at new exhibitions and taking a sneaky [...]
Creative Archives: Recipe Reconstruction and Cracknels and Jumbals
A continuing theme in the Treasures from History sessions is the creative use of archival documents. In the first session we explored the world of knitting and textile production in the home, exploring the knitting patterns that had been discovered in a nineteenth century household book from the Ashe [...]
