Skip to main content

News

What is the Hive?

  • 19th October 2011

In July 2012 we will be ready to welcome you to our new home at the Hive, in the centre of Worcester. Some of you may be wondering what on earth the Hive is, so here we will let you know a little bit more about it.

Staff visiting the Hive for a tour of their future home

The Hive is a £60 million joint venture between Worcestershire County Council and the University of Worcester, which is being made possible through the help of funding from PFI (Public Finance Initiative) credits. This is a fantastic opportunity to build a partnership way of working, which will provide a bigger and better service for the people of Worcester and all its visitors.

The gold clad building, which has attracted a lot of attention, has already won design awards and has been constructed with aspirations to provide a carbon neutral delivery of services, in line with the County Council’s Carbon Management Plan and the University’s environmental objectives.

So what will you find inside? The new building will include:

• A fully integrated public and University library • Worcestershire Record Office • Worcestershire Historic Environment and Archaeology Service • Worcestershire Hub Customer Service Centre

As well as these services you will also find café and refreshment outlets, meeting rooms and exhibition and drama spaces. 

Staff inside one of our new strongrooms currently under construction

When we get to the Hive, Worcestershire Record Office will become a joint service along with the Worcestershire Historic Environment and Archaeology Service and together we will occupy the History floor on Level One. We will be bringing you a much improved service that will include increased access to self-service resources, which will be available from 8:30am, when the Hive opens, until it closes at 10pm.

You can find out more about the Hive by following this link.

We’re looking forward to seeing how our service can develop further at our new home, we hope you’re excited to join us there!

Comments are closed.

Related news


  • 5th February 2026
Uncovering the Art of Ombersley Court, Part Two

From English country houses to dramatic naval battles and foreign lands, we continue our look at the Sandys family’s extraordinary art collection. Many of the pictures at Ombersley came to the Court through Letitia Baroness Sandys, while others were bought directly from artists or collected abroad. From views of Chatsworth House to Spanish bullfighting scenes...

  • 4th February 2026
Uncovering the Art of Ombersley Court, Part One

From Old Master paintings to prints, ceramics and furniture, the Sandys family’s art collection tells a story of politics, personal taste and ancestry. For centuries, the Sandys family collected art, turning Ombersley Court into something as much like a gallery as a home. Whilst a number were commissioned or purchased directly from artists, others were...

  • 23rd January 2026
What’s in a name?

Why Archaeologists No Longer Use the Term “Deviant Burial”- Evidence from Milestone Ground, Broadway In archaeology, terminology matters. The words we use shape how we interpret the past and how it is understood by the public. One term that is increasingly falling out of use is “deviant burial” – a description once commonly applied to...