What we do
Our friendly, helpful, and knowledgeable staff provide access to archive services and resources to thousands of people each year. We make available the records of the county’s history, connecting you with the stories of Worcestershire people and places through historical maps, parish registers, wills, photographs and much more.
For those unable to make the journey to Worcester, there are various ways for you to get access to archives you need. We’re happy to advise you free of charge on our service and the collections we hold, and we offer a paid research service undertaken by our expert staff. In addition, we can provide copies of commonly used resources such as wills, parish registers, and electoral registers.
For more information please consult our resource list, fees and charges, enquiry policy and contact us with your enquiry.
An introduction to using our catalogue and order documents can be seen below
Visiting us
You are very welcome to visit us at The Hive, Worcester, UK, where our friendly staff will be available to guide you through many historic resources to support your research. Before you visit, you can browse our archive catalogue and collections, leaflets and guides, and download our Visitor’s Guide, which will tell you all you need to know.
Testimonials
"This is our very first visit to The Hive in the pursuit of tracing our family tree. It is an amazing place – so well laid out, so much amazing research material to hand. But, most of all, the wonderfully helpful, friendly staff on hand to help with every query. We travel up from Hampshire and to arrive and find everything so laid out is great. We have been to other Record Offices but this is really No. 1! We can't wait for our next visit!!" Family Historians, Hampshire
"Can I just congratulate you and your team at The Hive on your rocket response to my request sent yesterday. You are the most efficient and fastest responding archive service that I've dealt with in the last 10 years by far. Thanks for the information and I hope to send further requests in the new year, as this has just opened up a whole line of further enquiry in Worcestershire!" Remote enquirer