The National Archives, Kew
- Access Online
- Documents Online
- Archives Only
The National Archives is the British government’s official archive, with a span of more than one thousand years. More than five per cent of records have been digitised. There are 350 digitised documents relating to Northern Ireland in the period (1950-1999) in Home and Foreign Affairs, Military and Defence, Cabinet Papers and the Records of the Prime Minister’s office. Records of the Stormont administration in Northern Ireland (1921-1972) are also available but institutional subscription is required. A key resource is the records from the Saville Inquiry into the loss of life in Derry/Londonderry on 30 January 1972. The National Archives received a complete copy from the Inquiry’s website and this archived copy will be permanently preserved. It is available through the UK Government Web Archive. The records include the report, witnesses/evidence index and transcripts of proceedings. It also includes background, press notices, and rulings and judgements.
Strengths:
Discovery – a new online catalogue – allows researchers to explore the collections and tag records using the enhanced catalogue. Facilities to pre-order documents and thus make the most of your time. Digital camera area. Secure locker facilities.Restaurant. Good transport facilities.
Access:
Some documents are free to download online (can be searched specifically by online collections). Access is restricted to the Records of the Stormont administration in Northern Ireland (1921-1972) to institutional log in. All other records can be searched and ordered online but a visit to the archives is required to access the documents. The archives are open Tuesday-Saturday. New readers will need to apply for a reader's ticket to access documents and two forms of identification are required for a reader's ticket.
Contact:
Tel: +44 (0) 20 8876 3444