Local History

There are different sources available for the study of local history in the Record Office, County Hall, and the History Centre. Handlists for some of the sources are available online.

At the History Centre

The History Centre contains the Local Studies Collection from the Library, which means that there are books and pamphlets on Worcestershire covering areas such as:

• The River Severn
• Worcester Cathedral
• Local Industries such as Worcester Porcelain
• Worcestershire County Cricket Club
• Biographies of local people, such as Sir Edward Elgar
• The Civil War
• Worcestershire Villages

Lists of book holdings at both branches of the Worcester Record Office can be found on the main Worcestershire County Council online library catalogue. Please note that all items are reference only, and cannot be borrowed.

The History Centre also holds trade directories from 1790 onwards, which contain lists of names, addresses and occupations of the inhabitants of a town. These are arranged in date order.

There is a collection of Worcester maps 1650-1980s, and Worcestershire maps from 1610 onwards, including footpath and geological maps.

Local newspapers, particularly for Worcester, are held on microfilm, dating back to 1712.

At the Record Office, County Hall

The Record Office holds original documents and maps, including inclosure, tithe and estate maps.

You can search some of the collections held at the Record Office using our Search Our Records page.

These include sources such as maps, plans and correspondence concerning a wide variety of aspects of local history.