About
The Story offers a gateway to the history of County Durham and its people. Bringing together our diverse collections of records and objects for the first time, The Story charts thousands of years of everyday life in the county. Visit us to explore history from a new perspective with free permanent and temporary exhibitions or join us to research your own story in our state-of-the-art research facilities. You can even create a new story by getting married or registering the birth of your new one here. And when it’s time to take a break, our café offers the perfect place to grab a cuppa and enjoy our beautiful grounds..
Here, fact is more amazing than fiction.
The Story brings together five different collections of historic records, documents and objects. Together these collections reveal fascinating glimpses into the lives of people throughout County Durham’s history.
The collections speak of people’s attitudes and adventures, difficulties and differences, connections and communities. They hold unexpected items and hidden treasures.
County Durham Archives – six miles and 900 years of history - County Durham Archives holds records of County Durham and Darlington, including the pre-1974 historic county between the Rivers Tyne and Tees.
Historic Environment Record – archaeological treasures from below the ground - Our archaeology collections were unearthed from the ground – mostly through archaeological digs but sometimes by metal-detecting or even by chance.
Durham Light Infantry Collection – 300 years of DLI stories - The Durham Light Infantry Collections contains uniforms, archives and medals charting the lives of individual soldiers.
Local Studies - The Local Studies collection contains many sources of information that detail the history of the places and people of County Durham.
Historic Registration - All births, deaths and marriages in County Durham since 1837 are recorded in the Historic Registration collection.
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