Wolverhampton Archives and Local Studies will be operating new opening times from next week.

The Archives, based at the Molineux Hotel on Whitmore Hill, will be open on Tuesdays from 10am to 4pm, Wednesdays from 10am to 7pm and Thursdays from 10am to 4pm from 1 April. Admission is free.

The changes are being introduced as part of Wolverhampton City Council's efforts to save £123 million over the next 5 years.

Councillor Elias Mattu, Cabinet Member for Leisure and Communities, said: "Wolverhampton Archives and Local Studies is popular resource, well used by people wanting to explore the rich history of Wolverhampton and its people.

"We've looked closely at current user patterns to ensure that the archives will still be open at its busiest periods - typically Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays - and to offer a service outside normal office hours on Wednesday evenings. The Archives will also be open occasionally on Saturdays for special events.

"In addition, a wealth of material from the city's archives is now available online, meaning people can continue with their research when the Archives are closed to the public."

Wolverhampton Archives and Local Studies houses a wealth of material relating to the history of all parts of the city of Wolverhampton including Bilston, Bushbury, Penn, Tettenhall and Wednesfield.

Constantly growing, the Archives' vast collections include maps, books, census returns, newspapers, records from local schools, churches, clubs, societies and businesses, electoral registers, and indexes to births, deaths and marriages. There are also over 30,000 photographs, plus films, sound recordings, memorabilia and much more.

For more information about Wolverhampton Archives and Local Studies, please visit Type=links;Linkid=3241;Title=The Museums, Galleries and Archives of Wolverhampton;Target=_blank; or call 01902 552480.

  • released: Tuesday 25 March, 2014