AN appeal to keep a nationally important historical archive in Hertfordshire has been successful. The �150,000 needed to keep the Delme-Radcliffe collection, which charts over 800 years of the family that owned Hitchin Priory, has been raised. It will m

AN appeal to keep a nationally important historical archive in Hertfordshire has been successful.

The �150,000 needed to keep the Delme-Radcliffe collection, which charts over 800 years of the family that owned Hitchin Priory, has been raised.

It will mean the collection, which has been on loan to the Hertfordshire Archive and Local Studies unit at County Hall, will not be sold piecemeal by the owners, but can be bought in its entirety by the county council.

The appeal by Herts County Council and The Hertfordshire Heritage Fund was launched in October 2008.

Dr Jill Barber, head of heritage services at the council said: "Raising such a large sum of money in such a short period of time was always going to be a monumental challenge, but thanks to the public-spirited generosity of local people we've achieved what we set out to do.

"Thanks to the success of the appeal this historic collection will stay where it is, which means we can continue to make the documents available for public use and enjoyment.