Welcome to the third edition of the Gloucestershire Heritage Hub newsletter.

Since April, the Heritage Hub site – both outside and in – has been a hive of activity. 

Externally, we've been creating firm foundations.  The 26 tonne piling rig shown below arrived on the back of a lorry from Devon.  It drilled 87 piles 10 metres deep to underpin our new strong rooms in a matter of days.  

Paul Lander, Lakehouse Site Manager with Kim Kenny, 'For the Record' Project Officer.

Internally, the temporary forest of scaffolding poles is disappearing as the new Hub area develops.   Surprisingly, it’s due to be ready for us to move into in early October 2017.  We – that’s the Archives, Gloucestershire Family History Society and Gloucestershire Police Archive volunteers – are keen to set up our new home quickly, ready for visitors.  So it’ll be a case of ‘all hands on deck’ as soon as we get the keys!  The Archives research room will be closed whilst we do this and we reckon it’ll take just two weeks to get everything done and dusted.  We’ll keep you updated with the latest news, including the opening date for the Hub, via our blog and website gloucestershire.gov.uk/archives.

Left to right: views from former strongroom and former locker room into research room; old front door.

Our move won’t be the end of the journey for Hub building works. These will continue for a further six months, creating a new main entrance, foyer, training suite, strong rooms and community garden.