Our Archive

The BSU Archive, based at Corsham Court, collects documents, images and ephemera associated with the history of our university and its component parts.

Through primary sources originating from Bath School of Art, Bath College of Domestic Science and the City of Bath Training College, we are able to build up a picture of life in Higher Education since the mid nineteenth century.

An important aspect of our work is collecting the oral and written memoirs of former students and staff. We welcome additions to this collection at any time, and value our contributors.

Over the years, each of our institutions went through stages of development and at each stage, a change of title. These are numerous! ‘Bath Spa University’ is a relatively new title, but the BSU Archive demonstrates the richness of its longer history.

Students and staff of previous eras have also analysed the history of our buildings. For example, research in the 1950s and 1980s uncovered details of the Langton and Gore-Langton families, owners of Newton Park from the seventeenth century until the 1940s. These papers reveal the changing landscape of historical research, and are a fascinating aspect of the archive.

Documents relating to our broader history can be found at

• Bath Spa University - Sion Hill Campus Library
• Bath Spa University - Newton Park Campus Library
• Bath Record Office
• Bath Central Library
• Duchy of Cornwall
• The British Library
• Oak Spring Garden Library, Virginia
• Ordnance Survey
• Somerset Heritage Centre, Taunton
• Wiltshire & Swindon History Centre