Bringing a group of university students to The National Archives is a great way to introduce them to using archival collections and original source material as part of their research. Visits can be arranged for a wide range of disciplines from history, politics, and archaeology to literature, art and media.
We offer three basic packages for visits:
Option 1
A 45-minute tailored introduction to The National Archives’ collections delivered by a specialist in your field. It includes an introduction to archives and archival research and advice on how to use catalogues and finding aids to access relevant documents. It does not include any work with original documents. This costs £130 for up to 15 students or £260 for up to 30 students, including admin and billing time.
Option 2
A 2-hour records-based session with a specialist in your field. This includes all the information in the 45-minute tailored introduction plus a document workshop either focusing on records related to the course students are studying or a general ‘dissertation inspiration’ taster selection of our collection. This costs £345 for up to 15 students or £500 for up to 30 students, including admin and billing time.
Option 3
A half-day archival skills workshop. This is an in-depth workshop focussing on records on a particular topic or from a particular series, including how to use relevant finding aids and work on the format and formulae of the records, using original documents. This costs £540 for up to 15 students or £860 for up to 30 students, including admin and billing time.
For more information, please email: academicvisits@nationalarchives.gov.uk.
Arriving by coach
We have one coach bay on site that can be booked each day that we are open to the public (Tuesday to Saturday). Advance booking is essential and free of charge.
To check availability and book the bay, use our online coach bay booking pages, select the month of your visit and then the date. If available, you will be able to proceed with your booking.
Further information (including directions and what to do when you arrive) will be provided in the confirmation email that you receive after completing your booking.
Please do not make any travel arrangements until we have confirmed your booking.