Links to national archive websites

If you are new to using archives then you may find these online tutorials helpful.

• BBC History Website – guides to studying local history http://www.bbc.co.uk/history/trail/local_history/
• BBC History Website – guide to studying family history http://www.bbc.co.uk/history/familyhistory/
• Archival research techniques and skills – General advice on planning your research and using archives http://arts-scheme.co.uk/

If you want to find out what organisations in the UK hold archives that are open to the public, where they are and how to contact them, then a good site to search is The National Archives ARCHON directory at: http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/archon/

The National Register of Archives contains information on the nature and location of manuscripts and historical records that relate to British history and can be searched by corporate name, personal name, family name or place.  http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/nra/

To look at more detailed information about archive collections there are a number of websites that cover different parts of the UK.

For records held in Scotland see the Scottish Archives Network http://www.scan.org.uk/

For records held in Wales see the Archives Network Wales http://www.archivesnetworkwales.info/

For records held in England (and some Welsh public records) see Access to Archives http://www.a2a.org.uk/

The Archives Hub – a gateway to descriptions of archives in UK’s universities and colleges see http://www.archiveshub.ac.uk/