Wiltshire and Swindon records office

[chaz]

just an update for anyone wanting to visit the records office in Trowbridge over the christmas period and 2007 before the move to Chippenham .

in brief basically its service up until the end of April.

Closure for Christmas 2006

The Wiltshire and Swindon Record Office will be closed over Christmas and New Year from 5.00 pm on Friday 22 December until 9.15 am Wednesday 27 December 2006 and from 5.00 pm on Friday 29 December 2006 until 9.15 am Tuesday 2 January 2007. There will be no late night opening on Wednesday 27 December 2006.

The Wiltshire & Swindon Record Office will not be closing to the public for 2 weeks in January 2007 due to the forthcoming move to Chippenham in 2007.

Closure May-October 2007 while archives move to Chippenham

The new Wiltshire and Swindon History Centre in Cocklebury Road, Chippenham is now in the final stages of construction and testing. The existing Record Office in Trowbridge will be closed to visitors and users from 30 Apr 2007. The archives will then be moved to the History Centre in Chippenham. Other heritage services including archaeology, conservation, local studies library, the museums service and Wiltshire buildings record will also be moved. We aim to open the new Centre to the public on 31 Oct 2007.

There will be a reduced service for users of microfiche readers available in Trowbridge reference library during the summer of 2007, and we will continue to answer e-mail, telephone and postal enquiries, but no original records will be produced from 30 April to 30 Oct 2007.

http://www.wiltshire.gov.uk/leisure-and-cu...cord-office.htm

[Moonraker]

Thanks Chaz.

Chippenham will be a shade more convenient for me. And at the risk of upsetting its proud citizens, I always found Trowbridge a rather disappointing town with a most unremarkable centre. However, the war memorial in the park is very fine, and if one arrived early one could always get free parking within feet of the CRO and local studies library. I'm looking forward to visiting Chippenham, which I've only passed through once in recent years (apart from on the train).

Moonraker

Moonraker

[chaz]

if you come down on the train , its a 5 minute walk from the station on the old cattle market site.

[JohnBelcher]

I look forward to spending some time there after the move is complete.

Just don' try and drive there during peak times as it was a cracking idea to build the place on what was and might still be the largest cul-de-sac in Europe!

Happy New Year to all

[chaz]

more and more houses going up, no doubt a roundabout will be strategically positioned somewhere on the estate!!

[Michelle Young]

The new records office is only a short walk for me, just down the hill. The new buildings have made it a lot of fun already to get home, and no doubt will continue to cause problems! Plenty of Nimbies around as well about the new housing...............................

[chaz]

just thinking about the big stones set upright outside...

maybe symbolic of Stonehenge, what about a Bofors gun or a Hercules or Spitfire to represent local airfields or even an old steam train to symbolise Chippenhams past biggest employer!!

[Moonraker]

I went to the new History Centre at Chippenham yesterday. Very impressive. The Local Studies Library and Country Record Office have merged (at Trowbridge they were on separate floors). Pens are not allowed. There's plenty of space and I was able to hog a microfilm reader all day.

On arrival, a smartly-dressed receptionist registered my details and issued with a 3-year membership card (another bit of plastic to keep safe). So one needs ID - my driver's licence was OK.

Books and documents from the store were quickly produced, though there was some confusion between the Wiltshire Regiment and the Wiltshire Volunteer Regiment.

There's a free car park, into which one drives over dragon's teeth, which yield to your vehicles' wheels. On leaving, one's given a number, changed daily, to raise the barrier (though I was told that one poor lady had tried to drive back the wrong way over the dragon's teeth).

The centre is closed on May 9 for an official opening by Princess Anne.

I've never explored Chippenham - and didn't yesterday because of the heavy rain - but it looked more interesting than Trowbridge.

Moonraker

[Michelle Young]

Ashamed to say I still haven't been there................

Michelle

[Martyn Gibson]

HI Moonraker,

I visit the centre on a regular basis and find the staff and factilities excellent.

While my partner searches her family tree I can happily trawl through Ancestry which is free through the on site computers.

I would recommend this facility to anyone in the region who can get to it. A must for anyone tracing soldiers from the area.

Glad you enjoyed your visit Moonraker and maybe I will see you there one day?

Regards

artyn

[Moonraker]

Martyn

I usually make a yearly visit. I still want to check out some old Wiltshire Gazettes, but I may do this at Devizes Library, which I reach through the glorious Vale of Pewsey. From May 3 to August 31 the museum in Long Street is hosting an exhibition of photographs of Imber (now a ghost village in the middle of the Salisbury Plain Training Area), which I want to see.

Thanks for the Ancestry tip; it's worth bearing in mind.

Moonraker