Centuries of Kirklees’ history are preparing to move into a new permanent home at Huddersfield’s Our Cultural Heart.
The West Yorkshire Archive Service (WYAS) Kirklees office will be based within the new Huddersfield Library Hub, bringing archives, local history, learning and culture together under one roof.
As specialist work continues to prepare thousands of historic records for the move, visitors will be able to get a first look behind the scenes through a new exhibition opening when the Library Hub welcomes its first visitors in September.
Protecting Kirklees’ history
Since closing to the public in August 2025, archive staff have been carrying out an enormous amount of specialist work to prepare Kirklees’ archive collections for their new home.
More than 32,000 archive items have already been cleaned, conserved, processed and carefully packaged, with work continuing throughout 2026 to make sure every collection can be safely relocated.
The collections include centuries of local history, from council records and historic maps to business archives, photographs and family history documents that tell the story of the people, places and communities that have shaped Kirklees.
A new home at the heart of Huddersfield
The new archive facilities will be an integral part of the Huddersfield Library Hub, one of the first major elements of the Our Cultural Heart development to open.
Bringing the archives together with the library creates a modern, accessible space where people can explore local history, family history, archives, learning and culture in one place.
David Shepherd, Executive Director for Place, said:
“Bringing the West Yorkshire Archive Service into Our Cultural Heart is an important part of creating a destination that celebrates the heritage, creativity and stories of Kirklees.
“Archives preserve the history of our communities and make it accessible for current and future generations. We are delighted that they will have a dedicated new home within the Huddersfield Library Hub.”
A first look behind the scenes
When the Library Hub opens in September, visitors will be able to explore a special pop-up exhibition in the new archive search room.
The exhibition will showcase the extraordinary work involved in preparing Kirklees’ archives for their move, offering a fascinating glimpse behind the scenes at the conservation, cleaning and cataloguing work that normally happens out of public view.
While work continues, we and the West Yorkshire Archive Service will continue to support essential archive enquiries, with limited access to records available for legal and other urgent purposes where needed.
Looking ahead
The full WYAS Kirklees public service, including access for family history researchers, local history enthusiasts and academic researchers, will reopen in January 2027 once all archive collections have been safely transferred into their new home.
Teresa Nixon, Head of Heritage at West Yorkshire Joint Services, said:
“Our collections contain centuries of Kirklees history and include thousands of irreplaceable records.
“Preparing archive collections for a move of this scale is a complex and highly specialised process. Since closing to the public, staff have been carefully cleaning, conserving, packaging and cataloguing thousands of items to ensure they can be safely transferred into their new home. The new state-of-the-art facilities in Our Cultural Heart will better protect and showcase Kirklees’ archives for generations to come.
“We’re excited to share our move preparation work with the public through our exhibition later this year and look forward to welcoming researchers and visitors back when the service fully reopens in January 2027.”
We’ll share more information about the exhibition, opening arrangements and opportunities to visit the new archive facilities over the coming months.