Events - Worcestershire Archive & Archaeology Service

Pop in to see our Senior Archival Photographer, who will be on hand to answer questions regarding digitising your search room finds.

He will be also available to offer advice on how to digitise your own photographic archives using your own equipment.

No booking required.

Would you like to learn how to research the history of your house? Or perhaps you are interested in another building?

Come and meet some archive staff and learn about what sources are available to research house histories in Worcestershire and how to find them. We will look at items in the library, on computer and microfilm, and original archived documents on level 2 of The Hive.

Get to know the different sources with some hand-chosen examples, and perhaps feel inspired to return and begin to research the history of your own house.

This is a course for beginners, we cannot offer specific advice or research on the day but can show individuals how to use our resources and how to research.

New to historical research?

Take a look at what we hold in the Self-Service area on level 2 of The Hive. Here you’ll find parish registers, wills, marriage licenses, photographs, trade directories, Tithes, Enclosure and OS maps, as well as free access to Ancestry, Newspapers online and Find My Past.

During this workshop we will be look at microfilms, CD Roms and online copies of historical documents that might be helpful for researching family, house history or local history and we will discuss how they can be used. There will be time afterwards to view sources of your choice, so if you have anything specific you would like to look at, please bring the information with you.

You will also need your library card, which we can create for you if you haven’t already got one, and a memory

Do you want to find out more about where you live?

This session will provide complete beginners with an introduction to a variety of sources available for researching local history. A member of staff will be on hand to offer advice and tips, as well as introduce you to the variety of resources.

No booking necessary. It is not intended as a session for one-to-one assistance with research.

Launching in autumn these reading circle sessions are an exciting opportunity to meet and discuss books about Worcestershire’s history, in a relaxed and sociable way.  The Hive is a wonderful setting for these sessions – you will be just meters away from where we safely store and make accessible original archives that offer a window into Worcestershire’s broad heritage.

Our suggested reading programme is entirely optional to follow – feel free to discuss information you have discovered from heritage events, websites and books from your own collection. You may also find our book searching guide  useful. Feel free to contact us for more information. Whether you are new to Worcestershire’s heritage or already have an interest, all readers are welcome.

Worcestershire Archive & Archaeology Service holds a wide range of maps and plans that give a fascinating insight into the development of the landscape, settlements and of land use. In this session, we will explore different types of maps and plans, suggesting how they can be interpreted and ways that they can be used to aid research.

This workshop is aimed at people starting out on their journey of discovery or those wanting to look beyond Ordnance Survey.

Join Archivists behind the scenes for a tour of what is unique, special and treasured about Worcestershire Archives and their wonderful collections. Highlights will include a letter sent from Titanic, Shakespeare’s Marriage bond, documents from the reign of King Charles I and II and the Worcestershire photographic survey.