22/12/2008 - Contractor confirmed for new Carlisle archives centre : Cumbria County Council

The contractor that will be delivering a new £8.2m high-tech, 21st century archives centre at Petteril Bank has been confirmed.

Work on the site is planned to begin on January 19th 2009 now that a contract has been signed between Cumbria County Council and Quarmby Construction, a firm with over 35 years experience in developing cultural landmark buildings in the UK.

The contractor will be delivering an innovative building design from leading architects Austin-Smith: Lord of Manchester, who have previously designed projects including the Bluecoats Arts Centre in Liverpool, the John Rylands Library in Manchester, Leeds City Museum & Resource Centre and the Riverfront Arts Centre in Newport. English Heritage have been closely involved in creating a building design, which will be an innovative and striking balance of old and new.

The archives centre has been made possible thanks to a successful bid in 2007 for a £4.8m grant from Heritage Lottery Fund (the largest ever such grant awarded in Cumbria).

The project will involve renovating and restoring the existing Lady Gillford's House and building a brand new structure alongside it to house the archives and records currently stored at Carlisle Castle. The mixture of a classic Grade II-listed building and a brand new, glass-fronted structure will create a landmark to be proud of in this area of Carlisle and also open up a historic building to public access. The grounds around Lady Gillford's House will also be landscaped and there will be improved cycle and pedestrian links to the Petteril Valley.

Construction is expected to last a year, during which time the site will be fenced off to protect the public and there will be 24-hour security cover. The footpath will be kept open around the side of the site so people can still access the Petteril Valley.

Once the building is finished, it will take about six months to relocate the archives from Carlisle Castle, and the new facility will open in autumn 2010. It will store Carlisle's unique archive collection, which has been kept at Carlisle Castle for the last 44 years. The collection provides an unrivalled insight into the places and people of Cumbria from the 12th century to the present day and also preserves vital practical information on things such as boundaries and rights of way. The collection of over a million historical items includes the Royal Charter of the City of Carlisle from 1316 which bears the seal of Edward II. It has been estimated that, if laid end to end, the entire collection would stretch over three miles.

The archives will be stored in a weather-proof concrete strongroom and the thermal mass of the building will keep it at 13°C (55°F) and also maintain the right levels of relative humidity to preserve the collection.

Cumbria Archives will also have a range of amenities on offer which local people will be able to access such as educational facilities for groups of young people and adults, temporary and permanent exhibitions, a bookshop and community spaces for people to get involved in all sorts of cultural and learning activities. The panelled billiard room in Lady Gillford's House will be licensed for weddings.

Cllr Stewart Young, Leader of Cumbria County Council and local councillor for the ward of Upperby, said:
"As well as creating a new landmark building that everyone in Cumbria can be proud of, this multi-million pound project will also bring vital jobs and investment into Carlisle. Lady Gillford's House is one of the most well-known and well-loved buildings in Carlisle and transforming it into Cumbria Archives will restore it so that everyone can have access to it and appreciate its charm."

David Jones, Managing Director of Quarmby Construction Company Ltd, said:
"I'm delighted that Quarmby is the contractor of choice for a building as innovative and important to its community and environment as the new Cumbria Archives Centre promises to be. We look forward to working with Cumbria County Council and Austin-Smith: Lord over the course of 2009."

Quarmby Construction is based in Ilkley, but a number of Cumbria-based sub-contractors will also be used throughout the development.