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UK National Archives will reopen soon

From Jeff James, Chief Executive and Keeper, The National Archives:

Since mid-March, our iconic and much-loved building in Kew has been silent. With our reading rooms closed, the vast majority of our staff working from home and many of our usual services suspended, we have focused on bringing you more digital content and online resources. I hope you’ve been able to enjoy our online talks, podcasts, free downloads of digital records available through our website and our ever-popular research guides and education resources.

Following recent government announcements, I am delighted that our reading rooms in Kew will re-open on 21 July 2020. It’s wonderful to know that visitors will again be able to use our reading rooms and have access to our collection of original documents.

The re-opening will be a gradual process and The National Archives will look and feel very different to what you are used to. We’ll be providing limited access to parts of the building and our services will operate differently for the time being.

In recent weeks, we’ve been busy preparing and introducing new measures.

  • We will be introducing a booking system. All visits will need to be pre-booked and we will ask everyone to pre-plan and order all documents in advance
  • You will notice a new document delivery process to protect you, our staff and to ensure the correct handling and quarantine of documents
  • A one-way system will be in place around the building with signage to help with social distancing. There will also be rigorous cleaning throughout the day.

​You can find more information on our website about how to book, our new safety arrangements, and what to expect when you visit.

The safety of our visitors and staff is paramount to the decision we have taken to re-open our reading rooms. We will keep all of our opening arrangements under constant review, and would welcome your feedback over the coming weeks.

I’m pleased to say that, for the time being, we will also continue to provide free downloads of our digital collection on our website, along with a huge number of research guides, resources and activities for the whole family to enjoy.

I would like to take this opportunity to thank you personally for your continued support of The National Archives and look forward to welcoming you back from 21 July.






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