A MODERN home for one of the richest historical archive collections in Europe is to be established in York thanks to a massive £4.4 million lottery award.

A state-of-the-art home for the Borthwick archive will be built at York University's Heslington campus, with £4,415,000 of Heritage Lottery Fund money.

Sir Ron Cooke, University vice chancellor, said the grant is a major step towards making York the archive research capital of the North.

The Borthwick Institute applied for the cash to enable it to move the collection from the medieval St Anthony's Hall, its home since 1953.

The building, which has more than two miles of shelving, is now overcrowded, and some facilities are becoming unsuitable for the preservation of delicate documents.

Sir Ron told the Evening Press the cash would create an archive of national significance, alongside the university's new Raymond Burton Humanities Research Library.

It would also help create an international centre of excellence for research in the arts and humanities.

The new building will meet tough modern standards, with environmentally-controlled strong rooms and space for 40 years of new acquisitions.

Public access to the archives in the evenings and weekends will be allowed for the first time, as well as the elimination of waiting lists and improved access for the disabled.

The collection houses the archives of the Archbishop of York, and those of hospitals, schools, businesses and charities, from the 13th century to the 21st century.

It includes Charlotte Bronte's will, and the marriage bonds of Anthony Trollope and William Wordsworth.

Borthwick acting director Chris Webb said: "This is a wonderful opportunity to improve public access to a fascinating archive.

"One in ten families with English ancestors will find family archives relevant to them at the Borthwick.

"I am looking forward to making this collection more widely available to local historians, family researchers, scholars from around the world, and schoolchildren."

Updated: 10:44 Saturday, July 27, 2002