Historic editions of what is billed as the world’s oldest newspaper have been transferred from the offices where it is published to a new home.

The donation of 17 volumes of Berrow’s Worcester Journal has been made to Worcestershire’s Hive library, which acts as the county’s archives service, by publisher Newsquest.

They had previously been stored at the offices of Worcester News, in Hylton Road, in the city, from where the Journal continues to be produced as a weekly freesheet.

The donation to the library, which features volumes dating from 1712 to 1801, is part of a continuing project to secure the future of parts of the Newsquest’s archives of its South Midlands titles, which includes photographs as well as old newspapers.

Pictured (from left) former Berrow’s Worcester Journal and Worcester News reporter Mike Grundy, Worcester News deputy editor John Wilson and Hive library archivist Adrian Gregson

Former reporter Mike Grundy, 77, who now writes nostalgia pages for both the Journal and Worcester News, has worked with the archive for 30 years.

He told the News: “I have been an unofficial custodian of these old newspapers for a long time, and I am delighted to see them preserved in such a wonderful place.”

The Journal was first published in 1690, initially appearing as the Worcester Post-Man. Its named changed in 1753 when a competitor appeared in the city, also calling itself the Post-Man.

Owner Harvey Berrow was so furious he put his own name to the title so readers could be sure they were buying the genuine article.