History hub with records spanning 900 years opens

Grade II listed Mount Oswald Manor House has been restored to house the new history centre

A history centre containing a county's archives going back nine centuries has opened.

The Story, in the restored Grade II listed Mount Oswald Manor House on the outskirts of Durham city, is the new home of the County Registration Service.

The county council said that as well as being a venue for weddings and civil partnerships, the hub also has a permanent, interactive exhibition space telling the story of the county and its people.

A series of events for the public, including historical re-enactments and pop-up theatre performances, are being held at the venue on Saturday and Sunday from 09:00 to 16:00 BST.

The centre also houses 15,000 objects from the Durham Light Infantry (DLI) Collection

County archivist Carolyn Ball said there were lots of "fascinating" records to see, including the oldest document in the collection from 1122, a deed of land transfer from the Bishop of Durham.

"As the new home of the registry service, The Story will provide a place for current and future generations to make their own milestones," Ms Ball said.

"Whether that is registering a birth or getting married in one of the venue's elegant ceremony rooms."

The centre is the home of books and documents charting the history of Durham

The archives are stored in 11 rooms, which also house the entire Durham Light Infantry (DLI) collection, reunited with the DLI Archive for the first time since 1998.

It includes 15,000 objects from the regiment's history since the 1750s.

Mount Oswald was built in the early 19th Century and was most recently used as a golf club before planning permission for The Story was granted in 2020.