Cotesbach Archive

The converted Victorian Coach House is home to our collection of more than 12,000 original documents, including deeds, journals, letters, receipts and photographs, the oldest dating back to 1431. This unique and extraordinary record of social history covering nearly 600 years has been made accessible to visitors, be they academic researchers, family and local historians, or simply those curious to see what a unique country house archive reveals. 

The majority of the papers relate to a branch of the Marriott family, which came into ownership of Cotesbach Estate in 1759, held the living as Rectors for over a century and whose descendants, the Newton family, still live there today.  The collection of handwritten sermons in particular has been designated by the National Archives as ‘of considerable historical importance’, and since 2014 we have been listed on Discovery, the National Archives’ international database of repositories which have substantial collections of manuscripts relating to British history. This was a significant milestone for us, marking our first internet presence.