The National Archives, nestled in picturesque Kew Gardens, is welcome respite from the hustle and bustle of London. As someone who grew up in Los Angeles, a massive expanse of sprawling suburbs disguised as a city, the tree-lined quiet of Kew Gardens brought back a welcome sense of nostalgia.
I’ve been visiting for the past few weekends to help a professor with research on an upcoming book, consulting immigration appeals from the 60s and 70s. The National Archives has materials to help with research both in and out of academia. It’s not uncommon to see fellow students accessing the collections there, but also private individuals conducting genealogical research. The UK is considered one of the best countries to conduct (historical) research in, due to the comprehensive nature of its archival system, so be sure to take advantage of this while you’re here!
Tips for a first-time visitor to the National Archives:
Complete your pre-registration to obtain your provisional reader’s ticket.
To formally conduct research at the National Archives you need what’s called a reader’s ticket, which serves as your entry to the Archives. To obtain this, you need to fill out an online application on the Archives’ website, which requires 1) proof of identification (i.e., a national ID card, passport, driver’s license, etc.) and 2) proof of address (a utility bill, bank or building society statement, etc.). The proof of address requirement may seem daunting at first, mainly because many students don’t pay utility bills or formal taxes. The Archives accept proof of address for residences outside of the UK, which was something that I was initially worried about as an international student.
After you create your online account and fill out your application, the National Archives will require you to provide proof of identification and address during your in-person visit. Make sure you don’t forget these when you first visit (especially since it’s an hour journey on the tube). Formal registration is the only bureaucratic hurdle you’ll encounter at the Archives. After registration, you’re basically free to access the Archives as you please. There is no fee for registering or visiting, which is also a plus, especially when you’re on a student budget.
Try and complete as many of the required tasks for your visit online.
This includes everything from registering for your reader’s ticket, to booking your visit, to reserving whatever documents you’d like to access during your visit. Thankfully, the Archives has a comprehensive online catalogue with many of its contents digitized, so that you can access the archive at your convenience, rather than having to make the commute and then determine what documents you need. The Archives close at 5.00pm, so maximizing your time there is crucial. You can place orders for documents while at the archives, but they take around an hour to actually get delivered to the visitor reading rooms, so ordering them in advance definitely makes for the most efficient use of your time.
Remember that this is (technically) a government building.
Though the staff at the Archives are extremely welcoming, the National Archives are technically a government building, which comes with certain expectations. Visitors must pass through security upon entering, and you’re not allowed to bring in certain items (i.e., food and drink) since some documents might be of a sensitive nature. There are locker rooms provided for visitors where you can store water bottles and snacks, as well as a first floor-cafeteria that makes for a nice place for a break. With that said, the Archives’ staff is so friendly and supportive that it reminded me more of a local library than a part of a sprawling bureaucracy.
The National Archives is an incredible resource and I would definitely encourage its use by everyone, whether you’re looking to procure documents for a thesis or academic paper, or if you even have just a passing interest in history!
Thanks for this helpful blog