Welcome to Alrewas Archives

Our latest book, An Alrewas Compendium' is now available to buy - £10

It's 100 pages of fascinating facts about Alrewas.

Email ralistudios@gmail.com to reserve your copy.

Click the book to go to Archives Books for Sale page

Alrewas Archives was set up to collect photographs, documents, stories and memories relating to the history and heritage of Alrewas in Staffordshire.

We also collect images of events that happen year on year in the village so that the archive is continually growing.

If you have any photographs or other artefacts that we can include in the archive, please contact us to let us know.

Alrewas is one of the oldest recorded communities in the Midlands. Its name likely comes from Old English, meaning “alluvial land by a river. It is possible that the traders might at times, have been held up at the fords by flooding, and this could have been the reason why an Iron-age farm became a village. After the Roman and Danish invaders left, Leofric, Earl of Mercia, held the Manor and he and his countess, Lady Godiva had a summer residence at Kings Bromley. There was a church here in 822 and after the Norman Conquest the Manor belonged to the crown until the reign of King John. In 1349 the people suffered from the Black Death and two thirds of the villagers died. Alrewas was famous for its eel fishery, and basket weaving was a thriving cottage industry, using osiers that grew so plentifully alongside the river. Water is a key factor in the life of Alrewas, in addition to the River Trent, the Trent and Mersey Canal cuts through the centre of the village. This 95-mile canal was completed in 1777. Over the years it has become a busy, creative and thriving village with a current population of around 3,000 people.

Take time to explore this site and its many hundreds of photographs and documents.