Suffolk Archives manage the historical archives for the county of Suffolk. These archives include a wide range of historical council and parish records, plus various commercial records, local historic book collections, local historic newspapers and various personal items. They are accessible to view at three locations: The Hold Ipswich; Lowestoft Library, Lowestoft and Bury St Edmunds. The Hold opened in September 2020 and also hosts various exhibitions, town walks and lectures.[1] This service is run by Suffolk County Council.[2]
The Suffolk Archives evolved from earlier archival arrangements of different bodies within the administrative area of the Suffolk County Council.
Formerly the Ipswich and East Suffolk Record Office, the archives were held in the former Bramford Road School in Gateacre Road.[3] [4]
In 2014 Suffolk County Council and the University of Suffolk started working on plans for a collaborative project to create a new premises for a heritage centre close to the University of Suffolk campus on Ipswich Waterfront. By 2018 they had finalised their plans for The Hold, a new purpose built building that would also house a 200 seat auditorium, which would also be used by the university. The plans catered for expected growth of the archive for the next twenty years. the facility was opened in October 2020.[5]
The Lowestoft Branch of Suffolk Archives is based in Lowestoft Central Library. Following the opening of The Hold, lorry loads of material was removed from the Lowestoft Record Office to be relocated in Ipswich. Local heritage campaigners set up "Save our Record Office", who campaigned unsuccessfully against the move, which occurred from 19–27 April 2021.[6]
The Branch was originally established as the Bury St Edmunds Record Office in 1938. From 1950 to 1974 it was known as the Bury St Edmunds and West Suffolk Record Office, servings as a County Record Office for West Suffolk. However following the amalgamation of that county with East Suffolk, it became the Bury St Edmunds Branch of the Suffolk Record Office.[7]