Research venues

Research Venues - Where and How

This page will contain info relating to reseach venues.

• name of the place to research
• Address
• Opening times
• Acessability
• special considerations.
• peoples experiences/thoughts that might help you

Key points in visiting any research venue.

Go equipped ( small change, pencils, paper,basic notes.........) Plan ahead Dont take small children

FRC & National Archives

The Family Records Centre 1 Myddelton Street London EC1R 1UW

Website A mine of info

Disabled visitors may need to pre-book, especially a parking space special needs guidance/help availible

You do not need a Reader's Ticket to use the services of the FRC. Guide dogs permitted but no other pets. Mobile phones and pagers must be in silent mode or switched off.

For full llist of specific rules and regulations

FRC & National Archives search your bags. Guildhall & First Avenue House (wills) scan your bags. Lockers at First Avenue House are big enough to take a suitcase, I don't think any of the others are.

The entrance is on the right of the wedge-shaped building.; go up the steps or the ramp to the front door. There is an attendant who will want to check your bag. Best to go down to the basement to start with; here are toilets, refreshment area and cloakroom to leave coat (it gets warm upstairs). You will need a pound coin for a locker. Going back upstairs, walk through past the shop into big room dealing with BMD certificates.

There is an information desk, also the counter where eventually you will fill out coloured request forms and pay for your orders.

The first floor contains three areas of registers, births, marriages and deaths.

The floor above deals with census data; and there are interesting books.

The rooms, particularly the Map Room is huge, stuffy and with a very low ceiling, which personally makes me feel a bit queasy. You have to be very quiet in there and there's a couple of security guys who parade around the room - think school exams .

The registers are actually huge books, and heavy! Take down one book at a time and see what you can find. All the books are alphabetical by surname, Just a matter of working round all the other people, and getting through the years you want.

FRC has a sandwich carousel, drinks machines etc but they can run out. TNA has a big cafe/restaurant, but there is also a water cooler & you can take your own sarnies. National Archives.Do not eat or drink anywhere else in the building. The cafe is good and I like the fact that you can use the computer there to see if your documents are ready.

The security folk can be a bit intimidating, and they need to be vigilant may wander where you are working andcheck your belongings as you move around the building - dont feel intimidated.There's one particular man on the "going up the stairs" security check who is a mite scary! Woe betide you if you have loose papers in your possession!The research staff are all very helpful.

The bookshop is well stocked too.

Also, quick word of advice, look up what you want on A2A and order it online before you go - it's incredibly difficult to find stuff on the NA computers.

There is an information desk, also the counter where eventually you will fill out coloured request forms and pay for your orders. Leave enough time for the payment counter; quite a queue builds up from about 2 o'clock.

Staff have always been very helpful - ie printing off census from film.

You can use biro at the FRC.

It is due to close early 2008.

London Metropolitan Archives

London Metropolitan Archives address is:

40 Northampton Road,

Clerkenwell,

London,

EC1R 0HB

Opening hours Monday, Wednesday and Friday 9.30am - 4.45pm Tuesday and Thursday 9.30am - 7.30pm see website for 2007 saturday dates

LMA website: LMA

For people with disabilties visiting the LMA disabled access services

By Tube: Circle / Metropolitan / Hammersmith & City Line to Farringdon Northern Line to Angel Rail King's Cross / St Pancras (about 1km / 0.7 miles walk) Farringdon Station (about 700 metres / 0.5 miles walk)

Bus Routes 19, 38 and 341 to Rosebery Avenue (alight at Tysoe Street or Mount Pleasant) Routes 63 and 259 to Farringdon Road (alight at Bowling Green Lane) Routes 55, 505 and 243 to Clerkenwell Road (alight at Clerkenwell Green)

Walking LMA is situated within easy walking distance of many other archives and historical institutions

LMA lies within London’s congestion Charge Zone. There are no parking spaces at LMA except for blue / orange badge holders. On street parking is metered.

A veritable treasure house. Impressive library of books on all aspects and areas of London and helpful finding aids for all parish records, electoral rolls etc arranged by London Borough. Staff helpful and lots of microfilm readers. Free water plus snacks machines in locker room. Major drawback is that it is only open alternate Saturdays though it does have late night opening during week.

Seems to be a long walk from any public transport. Few printers - and they're coin-operated and don't give change. It's worth having small change with you: 5p, 10p, 20p, 50p unless you reckon you'll be doing so much it's worth buying a card.

The General records Office , Southport

The GRO is not a venue that you can visit and conduct your own search.they do, however have occasional open days when visitors may be shown aroung the venue.

Quite often The GRO will have a stand at a local history fair, and advertise such events at this show. Its well worth a look if you are lucky enough to be in the area.

The tour is not so much as to help with family history research but more of an insite as the the way the venue is run and how orders for certificates are processed. There may , on these open days, be a chance to attend seminars and learn more about researching family history.

British Library IOC Reading Room, London

Address The British Library,

St Pancras,

96 Euston Road,

London,

NW1 2DB

Trains: St Pancras, King's Cross, King's Cross Thameslink and Euston Underground: King's Cross/St Pancras, Euston and Euston Square

Buses 10, 30, 73 and 91 Parking: No car parking for the public onsite.

Car parks in Marchmont Street under the Brunswick Shopping Centre and NCP in Judd Street.

Metered parking is available on Ossulston Street (6 spaces).

Visitors with disabilities are advised to look at the website for specific advice as to accessiblilty

Covered area for bicycles. There are limited spaces available for coaches, and arrangements can be made in advance by contacting Visitor Services:

Tel: +44 (0)20 7412 7332

Opening times vary according to the day and are best confirmed on the website

This contains the records of the East India Company -- company records, muster rolls, BMDs ships logs, check it out on a2a before you go. If you have relatives from the Raj, thenabouts or thereabouts, this is for you.

Registration necessary to use the facilites, but this is quick and easy. Go up the escalators and follow the signs for registration.

You fill in a form on computer, are given a queue number and wait to be called by a member of staff who will ask to see a photo ID of some sort -- passport driving licence etc, and proof of address -- bank statement, utility bill etc. there is a full list of possibilites on their web site.

They then take your photo and issue you with a readers card.

You then go down to the cloakroom where there are lockers of various sizes -- up to ones that take a suitcase! All need a one pound coin in the slot. Large see-through plastic bags are provided on a table near the entrance. Each reader is entitled to one for a laptop ( all sound must be switched off) and one for files, notebooks etc. Only pencil allowed, no sharp objects permitted, all restrictions spelled out for you on the plastic bags.

The Reading Room is on the third floor, accessible by the lifts right next to the cloakroom. Show your pass on entry. Lots of stuff on public access, indexes mainly in the form of bound volumes, available to help you know where to look on the shelf. Lots of muster rolls, BMDs etc on micro film, machines plentiful and in reasonable working order.

Items not on the shelves have to be ordered. You fill in a request form on the computer, enter your card no and create a password, then find what you want from the catalogue. This is a bit complicated but the staff are pleased to help out. Requested items take 70 minutes to arrive, so work yourself a schedule out accordingly.

Photo copies available. Check at the copy desk, staff will show you what to do or may insist on doing this for you. Copies can also be ordered for later collection or posting at a price of £1 per large sheet plus postage if applicable. They take credit cards.

Excellent loo on the same floor, quite luxurious!

Cafe available downstairs with hot and cold meals, sandwiches, soft drinks teas and coffees. Maybe wee bit pricey . Plenty of seats outside in the courtyard if the weather is fine, so take a packed meal and eat it in the fresh air.

Be prepared to have your plastic bag carefully searched when you come out. Staff are polite and courteous when doing so, and when you consider what treasures they hold, you can't blame them. Working conditions comfortable.