The Keep is a treasure trove of stories. Opened last October in a purpose-built location in Falmer, it contains the archives of East Sussex County Council, Brighton and Hove City Council, the University of Sussex’s Special Collections and the library of the Sussex Family History Group, which is now based in the building.

“A lot of people think archives are not for them,” says archivist Elizabeth Hughes, who leads tours of the facility, “but I guarantee there’s something to interest everyone in here.”

Far from the musty, dusty stereotype of a records centre, The Keep is a distinctly 21st-century affair – all air-sealed doors and touch screens. While visitors are encouraged to view original documentation if they wish, it’s not essential. A bank of computers allows for quick searches of digitised materials, from maps to registers.

Work to increase the information available online is ongoing, although with six miles of archives this won’t be a quick process and it will never be comprehensive. Hughes doesn’t see this as a bad thing.

As convenient as technology is, nothing beats holding an original in your hands, she smiles.

By way of example, she shows me a beautiful map of the world, handdrawn in pen by an 11-year-old at Middle Street School in Brighton back in 1840. It’s a painstakingly detailed effort and, just as Hughes says, there is something rather special about connecting so tangibly with the past. She pulls out a large Cluedo-style map of Brighton from 1898 that was produced by fire insurance company Goad. Detailing the usage of each and every room in the city’s central buildings (to assess what risk they might pose), it offers a tantalising picture of life back then. It’s not hard to imagine walking the streets, steam emanating from the public baths, market traders touting their wares.

Other material is more idiosyncratic: there are folders detailing grave stone inscriptions, a Sussex Police photograph album showing police boxes at Fiveways, and newspaper cuttings from the 1950s complaining of a lack of bobbies on the beat.

“When you’ve been in my job long enough you realise no story is genuinely new,” says Hughes. “In some ways that’s dispiriting but it can also be quite comforting.”

The Keep’s remit is geographical – anything that reflects the history of Sussex. This can mean weighty public records but is just as likely to include ephemera. When I visit the archives, conservators are restoring several Theatre Royal playbills from the mid-1800s that were bought on eBay.

They were never intended to be kept but are a mine of information on everything from lost typefaces to forgotten performers and plays.

Hughes is keen to highlight the value of everyday documents, which are often thrown away or left forgotten in people’s attics. “Organisations have got better at keeping their records but we don’t tend to get so much in the way of personal diaries or letters.” One never knows what will be of interest to future generations, she says. “Modern county council material looks as dry as dust to us, yet the same records from 100 years ago can be fascinating.”

Archives are most commonly used by those researching family or local history but Hughes has seen a recent increase in interest from people delving into their own history.

“People who were adopted or in care are often interested in finding out where they came from and it’s wonderful to be able to help them with that. Although we have to work to data protection and NHS guidelines when it comes to sensitive material, there’s a lot we can help people access.”

Other visitors have more prosaic objectives. “Even if people just want to know where the drains run under their house, we can help!” laughs Hughes. “Archives can be practical, fun or quite serious. I’d be amazed if someone couldn’t find something that is of interest in our stores.”

*The Keep is hosting an open day today (Sat, Feb 1), which includes free tours of the new building, conservation demonstrations and family activities.

Visit thekeep.info for full details.