The history of Berkshire Record Office

In 1939 Berkshire County Council established a County Records Committee to consider how to look after the many official and private records that were being stored in the Clerk´s strongrooms in the old Shire Hall in the Forbury, Reading. The Clerk of the Council, Mr Neobard, was keen to employ an archivist. 20 shire counties had already established a County Record Office and Mr Neobard wanted Berkshire to be next. Although the Committee agreed to appoint an archivist from the start of the next financial year, war intervened and it was eventually in August 1948 that Felix Hull started work at the old Shire Hall as first County Archivist. His temporary Record Office was in the caretaker´s flat in the basement of the building.

Berkshire Record Office´s first permanent home was next door to the old Shire Hall, in the basement of the Assize Courts. The Office spread across the basement of the courts and the adjacent Police Station, eventually housing a searchroom, 10 strongrooms, 3 offices and a repair room. The first conservator was appointed in 1971.

During winter 1980/81 the whole County Council, including the Record Office, moved to the new Shire Hall at Shinfield Park, next to Junction 11 of the M4. The move also saw the creation of a Modern Records Centre to manage the administrative records of the County Council. The Office´s searchroom, offices and workrooms moved to a bigger space within Shire Hall in 1994.

In 1998 Berkshire County Council was abolished, and the Record Office began a new life as a joint service of the 6 unitary authorities in Berkshire. The 6 authorities agreed to fund a new building and we moved into our present home in Coley Avenue, Reading in October 2000.

County Archivists:
1948-1952 Felix Hull
1952-1962 Peter Walne
1962-1967 Will Smith
1967-1979 Angela Green
1979-1982 Amanda Arrowsmith
1983-1988 Adam Green
1988- Peter Durrant