CHARLOTTE Bront's will is among a wealth of historical treasures being moved to a new £6.5 million home at the University of York.

Seven centuries of archives belonging to the Borthwick Institute of Historical Research are being transported to purpose-built premises, constructed with the help of a £4.4 million Heritage Lottery Fund grant.

A fleet of lorries is being used to transport the 18,000 cubic feet of books and documents from their home since 1953, the medieval guild hall of St Anthony's, in Peasholme Green, to the university's Heslington campus.

Chris Webb, keeper of archives, said: "We had to move because we were full and we had all this material waiting to come in as well as our regular accruals. It was a case of 'where are we going to put it all?'

"Now more people will be able to use the archives in different ways.

"This is a public institution, not just a university institution. We are open to everyone, not just scholars."

The new premises are designed to ensure the collection is kept in optimum conditions, with features such as strong rooms with concrete walls 300mm thick, designed to maintain a constant temperature and humidity, and protect against fire for four hours.

Facilities for researchers will be increased from 16 to 40 spaces, plus a lifelong learning suite, accommodating 30 people, has been built. School visits will also be encouraged and there is full disabled access.

The Borthwick's collection was based originally on the archive of the Archbishopric of York, which was moved from York Minster as part of a campaign to attract a university to the city. Using a bequest from William Borthwick, a Bridlington perfumer, a research institute based on the archive was established.

Today, it includes a huge range of items, including thousands donated by individuals, companies and organisations.

It also has the biggest inventory of wills outside the National Archives, with more than 500,000 dating from 1320 to 1858.

The centre closed in June to prepare for the work and the moving of its archives, one of the most delicate tasks, is likely to take 12 weeks.

Updated: 12:41 Saturday, November 20, 2004