Aldbourne Archive

Aldbourne, Wiltshire

Castle Street

Can anyone supply a date?

The idea of the Aldbourne Archive is nothing new:  the Aldbourne Community Website has always had history features, photos and a discussion forum featuring a genealogy section and the Aldbourne Civic Society maintained a collection of photos and documents.  There is a huge resource of local information within the village, and this has been admirably recorded by the Millennium Book and Oral History projects in recent years. 

What IS new is the idea of pulling it all together into a digital archive - whilst the original photos and documents collected by the Civic Society are sent to the Wiltshire History Centre in Chippenham.

In part, the digital aspect of the Archive came about as an idea from the co-operation of the Aldbourne Website Group and the Aldbourne Youth Council to create an internet cafe facility in the converted public conveniences at the centre of the village.  Archive material can be made available to villagers and visitors alike right at the heart of the community.

We are still in the early stages of creating a digital catalogue and on-line presence to help protect Aldbourne's heritage (both historic and more recent). The re-design of the community website will also include the creation of a brand new sister-site to collect photos and articles together with a dedicated discussion forum.

During this process we want to pay tribute to all the historians who have collated information on the village, the creators of the Millennium Book and Oral History Project and the individuals who have made collections and organised exhibitions.  This is just the next step, embracing digital technology, and we are grateful for all your support and encouragement!

We're also indebted to the Community Archives and Heritage Group, Wiltshire Heritage Museum, Wiltshire History Centre, Pewsey Heritage Centre and National Archive for a wealth of support and advice.