The first visit to a county record office is, for most people, a slightly nerve-wracking experience. The formal searchroom, the hushed atmosphere, the business of ordering documents you’ve never seen before — it can feel intimidating, in the way that any new institution feels intimidating before you understand how it works.
It needn’t be. County record offices are public institutions, open to anyone, free of charge. The archivists are there to help. And the experience of sitting with a document that hasn’t been read in decades, or centuries, is one that no online database can replicate.
Here is how to make the most of your first visit.
Before you go: research the catalogue
The single most important preparation is also the one most often skipped. Every county record office publishes an online catalogue of its holdings. Some are more user-friendly than others, but all of them are searchable by place name, subject, and document type. Spend an hour with the catalogue before your visit, identify the specific collections relevant to your research, and make a note of the document references — the catalogue numbers — for the items you want to see.
Most record offices allow you to pre-order documents. This means that when you arrive, your boxes are ready and waiting rather than being fetched while you sit in the searchroom. On a busy day, pre-ordering can save you an hour or more. It is always worth doing.
Also check the record office’s practical arrangements. Most require you to book a seat in advance — searchrooms have limited capacity and walk-ins are frequently turned away. Check the opening hours (most are closed on Sundays and some on Mondays), the address, and the parking or transport situation. Some record offices are in purpose-built buildings on the edge of town; others are tucked into historic buildings in town centres with no dedicated parking.
What to bring
On your first visit, bring proof of identity — a passport or driving licence — and proof of address. These are needed to register for a reader’s ticket. Registration is usually quick and free.
Bring pencils, not pens. Pens are not permitted in searchrooms. Pencils only.
Bring a notebook, or a laptop or tablet if you prefer to type notes. Most record offices now have free Wi-Fi.
Bring a camera or phone. Usually offices now permit photography of documents for personal research use, free of charge. This is a significant advantage: photographing a document rather than copying it by hand is both faster and more accurate. Check the specific policy before your visit — a small number of record offices have restrictions.
Do not bring food or drink. There will usually be a locker room where you can store a bag and retrieve a drink during a break. Some offices have cafés; most do not. Plan accordingly.
Arriving and getting started
Register at the front desk, collect your reader’s ticket, and ask about the arrangements for ordering documents if you haven’t already pre-ordered. The staff will show you to the searchroom and explain the basic procedures.
Documents are delivered in boxes, folders, or bundles, depending on their format and condition. They will be placed on your desk or on a dedicated trolley. Handle them carefully: use two hands to support volumes, don’t lean on documents, and if something looks fragile or damaged, mention it to the archivist rather than forcing it open.
If you have pre-ordered documents, they will arrive promptly. If you haven’t, expect a wait of thirty minutes to an hour between ordering and delivery, depending on how busy the repository is.
Working effectively in the searchroom
Searchroom time is finite and often limited — most offices have a closing time of 5pm, and some restrict the number of documents you can order at once. Plan your session to make the most of it.
Work systematically. If you are looking through a volume — a register, a minute book, a ledger — note the page references of anything useful rather than photographing everything indiscriminately. A clear note of what you found and where you found it will save you hours when you come to write up your research.
If a document defeats you — illegible handwriting, unfamiliar format, unexpected content — ask an archivist. They are not there simply to deliver boxes; they are there to help you interpret what you find. A brief conversation about a puzzling document can completely transform what you take away from it.
At the end of the visit
Before you leave, take a few minutes to note what you looked at, what you found, and what questions remain unanswered. This sounds obvious, but it is surprisingly easy to leave a searchroom with a camera full of photographs and only a vague memory of what each one contains. A brief research log — written on the day — is worth more than a perfect photographic archive with no context.
Return documents to the desk in the order you received them. Make a note of any documents you want to see on a future visit, and — if the catalogue allows it — order them in advance before you leave.
Your first visit will almost certainly leave you with more questions than answers. That is not a disappointment. It is a sign that you have found something worth pursuing.
So make sure you go back.