The Wiltshire and Swindon History Centre
Welcome to the History Centre, your passport to the past
Closure period: please note that the History Centre will be closed for essential work between Monday 8th and Friday 26th December. Please see our Visiting the History Centre page for more information.
Please note there are currently a large number of roadworks around Chippenham affecting journey times.
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
Concealed shoes
Those of you who came to see our labs on 20th September for Heritage Open Day would have seen these incredible leather shoes from Wiltshire Museum, which were brought to CMAS for assessment and conservation. Figure 1. A group of three concealed shoes from Wiltshire Museum collection. Originally found [...]
Setting of the Stonehenge and Avebury World Heritage Site
On 21 October, Wiltshire Council adopted a pivotal planning document following a public consultation in the spring. It sets out how the landscapes around Stonehenge and Avebury will continue to be protected for future generations to experience and understand. This new Supplementary Planning Document (SPD) will now inform decisions [...]
Book review: The Secret War Factory
The Secret War Factory: Cowbridge Confidential By Charles Exton Authorhouse, 158 pages, Paperback. MAL.949 This slim volume is about, as the author describes, extraordinary people in extraordinary times. It tells the story of how Cowbridge House, the residence at that time, of a member of the Royal Household, Major [...]
