Archive centre offers behind the scenes tours

An archive centre in Cornwall will be opening its strongrooms as part of its behind-the-scenes tours.

Cornwall Council said free tours at Kresen Kernow will give visitors a chance to enter its "out-of-bounds" areas, where documents, books, photographs and maps are kept.

It said the tours would form part of Heritage Open Days, organised by the National Trust.

Programme support officer at Kresen Kernow, Amanda Crago, said "incredible documents" have been selected for the tours, including a diary from 1822.

"We have letters from a young man who worked in America and a diary from a lady who travelled on a Packet ship in 1822 to the Caribbean," Ms Crago said.

Kresen Kernow is built within the former Redruth Brewery, according to Cornwall Council.

It said it had 14 miles (23km) of shelving and looks after over one-and-a-half million items all about Cornwall, dating back over 850 years.

Portfolio holder for neighbourhoods at Cornwall Council, councillor Carol Mould, "strongly recommends" people pay the centre a visit.

"Kresen Kernow is such a fantastic place to explore and celebrate Cornwall’s history and heritage," she said.

"I am delighted that people will have the chance to see inside the strongrooms and strongly recommend that people pay the centre a visit.”

The tours will be running on 6, 10, 11 and 14 September.

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