Date of tip: 26 May 2005 

Source: Alex Wieland, a.r.wieland@lse.ac.uk  

Location: Kew, Richmond, Surrey, TW9 4DU, England [+44 (0)20 8876 3444]

How to get there: From Central London, the quickest way to get to the archive is via the London Underground.  Take the District Line (Destination: Richmond) to Kew Gardens station.  From the station, it is about a 5-7 minute walk. Follow the street signs for ‘The National Archives.’  For international travellers, London is served by five major airports (Heathrow, Gatwick, Stansted, London City, and Luton). International rail services (Eurostar) terminate at Waterloo Station. All of these are linked to the city centre by public transportation.

Language: English. If you require further language assistance, it would probably be best to contact the archive in advance to see if they can accommodate your needs. 

Getting started: The National Archives is one of the most user-friendly archives I have ever been to and is a joy to use. Getting started is very easy. Before visiting, you may search the archive catalogue (PROCAT) online at http://www.catalogue.nationalarchives.gov.uk/default.asp. Unlike other achives, you can enter search terms into the PROCAT engine and you will receive a full list of all files (with exact In order to use the collection, you will need to obtain a Reader’s Ticket. You may register for a card in advance of your visit or upon arrival at one of the terminals provided at reception. There is no charge to obtain a Reader’s Ticket. Please note, however, you will need to show some identification (passport, national identity card, etc.) to collect your Ticket from reception.  To obtain a seat in the Reading Room, you can either request one in advance if you already have a Reader’s Ticket or obtain one through the document ordering terminals. The National Archives gives regular orientation tours of the facility throughout the day, wherein new researchers are given information on archive procedures, including ordering. Unfortunately, the archive does not offer any financial assistance to researchers.

Opening Hours: The National Archives is open Monday, Wednesday, and Friday from 9 am to 5 pm; Tuesday from 10 am to 7 pm; Thursday from 9 am to 7 pm; and Saturday from 9.30 am to 5 pm. The archive is closed on all Bank Holidays, the week between the Christmas and New Year’s holidays, and for annual stocktaking in early December (consult website for exact dates).

General working conditions: The Reading Room of the archive is very spacious and obtaining a seat is usually no problem. There are approximately 40 work tables, each with five carrel-style seats. If you intend to use a laptop, digital camera, or need to use voice-activated software, please mention this at the circulation desk when obtaining your seat and they will make sure you have the proper facilities to suit your needs. If you would like to search PROCAT onsite, there are computer terminals located in the research room located next to the Reading Room on the first floor. If you have specific research queries, staff are available here to handle your requests. The staff are almost invariably cheerful, helpful, and efficient. Free internet facilities are located next to the canteen on the ground floor.

Consultation: Document files may be ordered in advance or onsite. Document orders are placed at computer terminals located around the Reading Room. On busy days, you may have to wait a few minutes to place your order, but queues are short and you should not be detained long. To order, you will need to swipe your Reader’s Ticket across the scanner connected to the terminal and you will be asked to enter your seat number. You are allowed to request a maximum of three files in a single order. Moreover, although you are allowed to have up to 21 files checked out to your Ticket, you may only have three at your seat at any one time. The remaining files will be held for you in a pigeon hole under your seat number behind the circulation desk and may be held overnight. Files are retrieved on demand and take approximately 15 minutes to reach the Reading Room. They can then be collected from a pigeon hole which corresponds to your seat number. The status of your order(s) may be checked by swiping your Reader’s Ticket at scanner terminals located throughout the building. In order to maximise your research time, I would suggest ordering additional files when you have only one file remaining at your seat. This will allow you to continue working without interruption while your new orders are processed.

Policy on technology:  Researchers may use their own laptops and typewriters in the Reading Room. Digital cameras are also permitted but researchers will have to register their cameras with the archive. This can be done at the record copying desk. Copiers and scanners are not permitted. In addition, only pencils are allowed in the Reading Room (no pens) and researchers are permitted only twenty sheets of loose paper (no notebooks). 

Photocopy policy: Photocopying at The National Archives is done by the staff only. Slips of acid-free paper are provided to indicate which pages you would like photocopied. The files are then presented to the staff at the record copying desk. The cost of photocopying is £.75 per sheet. Please not that to receive your copies the same day, you must order them by 4 pm. The archive also offers a record copying service in which documents can be copied onto CD-ROM or DVD. Details of this service can be found at:

http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/recordcopying/?source=ddmenu_shop3 

Particularities: Although the National Archives is very easy to use, it is important to be aware of time, especially where document ordering is concerned. Documents may be ordered on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday from 9.30 am-4.15 pm; Tuesday 10 am-4.45 pm; and Thursday 9.30 am-4.45 pm.  On Saturday, however, there is no document ordering from 12.00 pm-1.30 pm; documents may be ordered from 9.30 am-12.00 pm and 1.30 pm-3.15 pm. It is important to keep these times in mind if you do not want to spend a lot of time waiting around! Another point to keep in mind is that there are few dining options in the immediate area.  The archive has an on-site canteen, but is a bit pricey. If the weather is good, you can bring your own food and sit outside on the benches arrayed near the duck pond.

How to apply for classified files: On 1 January 2005, Britain’s Freedom of Information Act came into full effect. For further information on requests please consult:

http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/policy/foi/

Contact name in case of questions regarding classified files: The archive website directs the researcher to use the online enquiry form for all research enquiries. Forms may be found at: http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/contact/form/contactsubcategories.asp?id=1

Etc:  The National Archives is an excellent facility for researching British foreign relations, though the scope of the archive’s collection extends well beyond government files.  The National Archive is also an important repository for military records, family records, and visual materials and can serve a wide range of research interests.