WARWICK Castle’s archive is now more accessible thanks to the launch of a new online catalogue.
After nearly five years of work, the Heritage and Culture Warwickshire (HCW) team has completed the comprehensive catalogue, making the collection easier to explore for researchers, residents and history enthusiasts alike.
The Warwick Castle collection, which is publicly owned and held at the County Record Office in Warwick, includes maps, legal records, letters, drawings and printed material. Much of the archive dates from 1604, when Fulke Greville was granted the castle by James I, through to its sale in 1978, with some records dating back to the 12th century.
Collection highlights include medieval records relating to Alcester Abbey, Elizabethan Navy account books, First World War letters written by Anthony Eden, and correspondence from the various countesses of Warwick.
This major cataloguing project has brought together earlier attempts from the 19th and 20th centuries and significantly expanded them, adding thousands of new entries – many describing material that had rarely been explored. In doing so, it has revealed untold stories not only about the Greville family, but also about the people who lived and worked at Warwick Castle.
The work represents a major milestone in opening up the archive, transforming it from a largely hidden resource into one that can now be fully explored and understood.
Warwickshire County Council acquired the archive in 1978, ensuring it remained in public ownership.
WCC’s heritage spokesperson Coun Darren Cheshire, Portfolio Holder for Environment, Heritage and Culture, said: “This is a remarkable collection of national significance, and this catalogue opens it up for everyone to explore. We’re proud to be making Warwickshire’s history more accessible for future generations.”
