diff --git a/lib/serialisation/Hdf5IO.cc b/lib/serialisation/Hdf5IO.cc
index 1fb7be0c..b915a988 100644
--- a/lib/serialisation/Hdf5IO.cc
+++ b/lib/serialisation/Hdf5IO.cc
@@ -55,6 +55,11 @@ void Hdf5Writer::writeDefault(const std::string &s, const char *x)
   writeDefault(s, sx);
 }
 
+Group & Hdf5Writer::getGroup(void)
+{
+  return group_;
+}
+
 // Reader implementation ///////////////////////////////////////////////////////
 Hdf5Reader::Hdf5Reader(const std::string &fileName)
 : fileName_(fileName)
@@ -103,3 +108,8 @@ void Hdf5Reader::readDefault(const std::string &s, std::string &x)
   x.resize(strType.getSize());
   attribute.read(strType, &(x[0]));
 }
+
+Group & Hdf5Reader::getGroup(void)
+{
+  return group_;
+}
diff --git a/lib/serialisation/Hdf5IO.h b/lib/serialisation/Hdf5IO.h
index 12625ab8..1ae2791e 100644
--- a/lib/serialisation/Hdf5IO.h
+++ b/lib/serialisation/Hdf5IO.h
@@ -38,6 +38,7 @@ namespace Grid
     template <typename U>
     typename std::enable_if<!element<std::vector<U>>::is_number, void>::type
     writeDefault(const std::string &s, const std::vector<U> &x);
+    H5NS::Group & getGroup(void);
   private:
     template <typename U>
     void writeSingleAttribute(const U &x, const std::string &name,
@@ -65,6 +66,7 @@ namespace Grid
     template <typename U>
     typename std::enable_if<!element<std::vector<U>>::is_number, void>::type
     readDefault(const std::string &s, std::vector<U> &x);
+    H5NS::Group & getGroup(void);
   private:
     template <typename U>
     void readSingleAttribute(U &x, const std::string &name,