Last chance to access Buckinghamshire Archives in Aylesbury ahead of relocation
Bucks Council has announced when it plans to permanently remove the county’s archives from Aylesbury.
From October 1, the Buckinghamshire Archives site in Walton Street, Aylesbury, will close down ahead of them being transported to High Wycombe.
It was previously reported that the council had decided to move the archives out of Aylesbury into a bigger space with Tesco in Denmark Street chosen as the new location.
A BBC Local Democracy Reporting Service article published a year ago stated the authority was looking to complete the relocation project by spring of 2026.
Today, Bucks Council announced it is looking to reopen the archives in High Wycombe next spring. Tesco is closing its first floor and the upper area of the supermarket will be converted to contain the historic artefacts.
Buckinghamshire Archives preserves and makes accessible more than 800 years of the county's history, holding unique records, historic maps, photographs and documents that tell the story of Buckinghamshire's people, places and communities, the council says.
Previously, council officials have called the current set up in Walton Street ‘inadequate and unsuitable’. It was feared that the council might lose its National Archives accreditation if the archives remained in Aylesbury.
Bucks Council says the new space at Denmark Street will provide significantly improved storage conditions, enhanced public access, dedicated exhibition and display spaces, and modern facilities for researchers, visitors and staff.
During the near year that the archives will be closed, history buffs are encouraged to use online services provided by the council. It also advises that an official history festival will return to the county in November.
Councillor Peter Brazier said: “The relocation of Buckinghamshire Archives to High Wycombe is a significant commitment by the council, involving investing in preserving our county's heritage for future generations. The temporary closure is essential to facilitate the movement of over 3 million items in controlled conditions.
"I apologise to those put out by the closure; however we have committed to keeping our online remote services such as the virtual searchroom and ask the archivist available during the transition. I want to thank our archives team and especially our fantastic archive volunteers who have made this move possible within such an ambitious timescale.
“The new facility will provide a much-improved experience for all who come to do local history research with enhanced reading and research rooms.
"Buckinghamshire Archives plays a vital role in safeguarding our shared history, from medieval documents dating all the way back to 1155, through to internationally significant Paralympic collections. I look forward to us welcoming people to the new Denmark Street site when it opens in spring 2027.”
In an attempt to transform the supermarket into a community facility, the council revealed that a new public entrance will be created. The rest of the first floor is due to be transformed into a modern office space. According to LDRS reporting, the converted office above the superstore will have room for up to 170 desks.
More details on the online history programmes that are being made available to residents can be found here.