The Archive Centre, opened on 3 November 2003, is the home of the Norfolk Record Office and the East Anglian Film Archive. It has excellent facilities for research, education, exhibitions and the conservation and preservation of manuscripts, audio recordings and moving images. A floor plan of the public areas is available as a pdf file.
Visiting the Record Office
Opening hours
| Monday, Wednesday to Friday: | 9 am-5 pm |
| Tuesday: | 9.30 am-5 pm |
| Saturday: | 9 am-12 noon |
The Norfolk Record Office is closed on public holidays. May Bank Holidays: closed on Monday, 4 May 2009 and closing at 5.00 p.m. on Friday 22 May, reopening Tuesday, 26 May 2009 at 9.30 a.m.
Everyone is welcome to use the archives at the Record Office. To ensure the preservation and security of the documents in our care, there are some conditions which we ask you to observe. Bags, food and drinks, for example, are not allowed in the searchroom, and if you wish to look at original documents you will need a reader's ticket.
Readers' tickets
The Norfolk Record Office belongs to the County Archive Research Network (CARN), which includes many record offices in the UK. If you do not already have a CARN ticket, you can obtain one from Reception by producing formal proof of your identity. This must include name, address and signature (e.g., driving licence).
When you arrive
Inside The Archive Centre building, take the stairs or lift down to the public areas. Please leave bags, coats, umbrellas, food and drink in the lockers provided, as these items are not allowed in the searchroom. Lockers and coat racks are at the bottom of the stairs, to your left.
The Searchroom
Here, you can see documents: some will be microfilm or fiche copies, others the original manuscripts. Catalogues and indexes in the searchroom help you to identify documents relevant to your research. There are staff on hand to help.
Many popular sources are available on microfilm and fiche. These include many parish registers and most pre-1926 wills and other probate records. Other family history sources are also available on microform, such as the IGI for Norfolk, Suffolk, Cambridgeshire and Lincolnshire, and the Norfolk censuses, 1841-1901. Microforms are kept in the searchroom, where they are on open access.
All original documents are stored in the repositories, so you will need to request the ones that you wish to see. Staff bring documents down to the searchroom every half-hour throughout the day.
Seat bookings
You can reserve a place to look at original documents and we advise you to book a map table if you want to use maps or other very large documents. Booking times are as follows:
| Monday, Wednesday to Friday: | 9 am-1 pm 1 pm-5 pm |
(seats held until 10 am) (seats held until 1.30 pm) |
| Tuesday: | 9.30 am-1 pm 1 pm-5 pm |
(seats held until 10 am) (seats held until 1.30 pm) |
| Saturday: | 9 am-12 noon | (seats held until 10 am) |
We do not operate a booking system for microfilm or fiche readers.
Visitors with disabilities
There are parking spaces for visitors with disabilities near the entrance to The Archive Centre. Inside the building, a wheelchair-accessible lift takes you down to the public areas, which are all on one level. There is a toilet accessible to those in wheelchairs. Restaurants and a shop are situated on the ground floor of County Hall. Access to County Hall for wheelchair users is via a lift, to the left of the main entrance steps.
There are loop systems for the hard of hearing at The Archive Centre reception desks.
Copying
In the searchroom, you can make your own printout copies from most microfilms and fiches. You can also take your own photographs of most documents, but for photography you will need to buy a permit from reception. Alternatively, you can place orders for printouts or photocopies to be made by staff, see price list. We can supply copies of most documents, subject to copyright and other restrictions. We also take into account the format and condition of documents
Refreshments
You are welcome to relax and to eat packed lunches in the Common Room. Drinks machines are also available here. Inside County Hall, there is a restaurant (open Mondays-Fridays, 12 noon-2 pm) as well as a shop selling sandwiches, snacks, newspapers etc. (open Mondays to Fridays, 8.15 am-2.30 pm and 3.00-4.00 pm).
Updated: 14 April 2009