Temporary closure of Map and Large Document Reading Room from 17:00 on 27 November

05 November

The reading rooms at Kew will be undergoing some essential redevelopment during autumn and winter 2010. We are improving our on site facilities following extensive user feedback and staff consultation to provide a better environment and user experience for all our readers.

To allow for the improvements to be carried out, the Map and Large Document Reading Room will be closed for two weeks. This is scheduled from 17:00 on Saturday 27 November to 09:00 on Tuesday 14 December. We apologise in advance for any inconvenience this may cause. Check our Visit us pages for opening times and closure dates.

We advise visitors who know they will require access to any large documents and maps, or to records dating from before 1688 to avoid coming to The National Archives during the closure period, as these documents will be unavailable. The advice service will continue to be available at the enquiry desk in the Open Reading Room on the first floor.

For more information and the latest updates, see Reading room changes.

Changes to the Open Reading Room:

• A change to the layout of the Open Reading Room to improve the user experience for both first-time and regular users of The National Archives
• A larger and separate quiet area has been created for silent research, as has been regularly requested by users
• Two dedicated enquiry desks are being created to help answer users more intricate research questions. The two are: Military, Maritime and Family History; and Political, Economic and Social History

Changes to the Map and Large Document Reading Room:

• A new document collection desk will be provided, as well as new map tables and improved lighting throughout

We aim to provide regular updates to you and to cause as little disruption as possible to your visits to The National Archives.