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You can contact us directly with your feedback via this form.
Your feedback and our response
We welcome your feedback as it helps us to improve what we do and continue to deliver high quality services in line with the Customer Service Excellence standard.
Comments and requests
Below are some examples of comments and requests made to The National Archives.
Our lockers
- What you said
We received feedback that the lockers in our public cloakroom were difficult to use, and that the locks were faulty, making it challenging for visitors to store their belongings before visiting our Reading Rooms.
- What we have done
We have recently completed the installation of new locks on the five hundred lockers in our public cloakroom. We have also refreshed all locker signage, replacing the instruction stickers on every locker to ensure they are clear and easy to use.
Public bathrooms
- What you said
We have been informed that it is difficult to report issues found in our public bathrooms.
- What we have done
Our Facilities teams have installed feedback stations in the public bathrooms across site. These are automated feedback solutions that allow visitors to select an issue to report, which automatically raise jobs on our Estates and Facilities team’s job tracking portal.
Donating to The National Archive
- What you said
A number of visitors highlighted that it was not very clear how they could offer donations to archives, or enquire about donating material.
- What we have done
We created a webpage that explains the donation process in detail, and links to a specific team to contact as a liaison if an enquirer thinks The National Archives is the correct place of deposit for their records.
Compliments
Here are some examples of compliments received by The National Archives:
Hello TNA, can I just thank whoever was able to send me the necessary link to access the Cambridge Spies talk at short notice. Great talk which I really enjoyed. Thank you.
Received via email on 24 May 2026 (CAS-332812)
Good Morning or Afternoon to the Staff at the National Archives,
I wanted to thank all the staff who I know work tirelessly to assist us Genealogists, who pester you day and night for copies of this or that document.
I have been searching for my Uncles Prisoner of War record for over 20 years, and got quite emotional when it came to light recently, and my request to check the document confirmed that the records did indeed belong to him.
Thank you all so very much for all your time and work.
All the best from a Cool and Windy day in Oz!
Received via email on 29 May 2026 (CAS-333423)
An excellent place to research all kinds of personal family history, but particularly parish and local authority information and documents. In order to physically examine documents you have to register and get a Reader Card. Facilities are excellent, toilets, locker room, coffee bar and restaurant. A lovely surprise were the outside grounds; there is a pond, with ducks (and resident parakeet) and an extensive park with trees, picnic tables and deck chairs. Situated within a 10 minute walk from Kew Gardens Tube station, which itself is set in a conservation area, with cafes and even a local library, this area is worth a visit itself. Of course you are also near to Kew Botanical Gardens. Depending on your time, you can do both Kew sites, but a whole day would be needed. Driving inadvisable due to London traffic....coach travel took nearly 6 hours out of the day. Overground and Underground trains are the least stressful option, the Tube is still an amazing service. Best to carefully plan your journey/day in detail.
5-star Google review received on 23 June 2026 (CAS-337864)
Complaints
Here are some examples of complaints we have received. These come to us in a number of ways, including email, feedback forms, letters, telephone calls, social media and in person.
Booking disrupted by system maintenance
Summary of complaint and date received
The complainant was dissatisfied that their booking was cancelled as our document ordering system was under maintenance in the days before their visit.
Received via email on 7 April 2026 (CAS-325086).
Background information
While documents can be ordered during a visit, booking in advance allows readers to reserve up to 12 original documents, which are made available at their arrival. To take advantage of this service, documents must be ordered at least four working days before the visit; otherwise, the booking will be cancelled.
Action taken
We apologised for the inconvenience and explained that our document ordering system was under maintenance in the days before their visit. This included the Easter bank holiday, which led to the reader being unable to reserve documents and their booking being cancelled. We reinstated their booking and manually ordered the documents requested on their behalf.
Record Copying error
Summary of complaint and date received
The complainant placed an order with our Record Copying Service and the document they received as part of their Copy Order was incorrect despite providing clear instructions.
Received via email on 17 April 2026 (CAS-326843).
Background information
The Record Copying process involves several complex steps. In this instance, human error resulted in the wrong documents being copied.
Action taken
The Record Copying Team apologised to the complainant. They reviewed the order, re-ordered the document to review it and see if the correct documents could be located within the record. Once found, the correct pages were scanned and sent to the complainant.
Accessibility arrangements
Summary of complaint and date received
The complainant was dissatisfied that they were unable to view the Love Letters exhibition having contacted in advance to inform us of their accessibility requirements.
Received via email on 19 April 2026 (CAS-327207).
Background information
Our Love Letters exhibition ran from 24 January to 12 April 2026, and has been very popular. On busy weekends, we implemented a queuing system to handle unprecedented peaks of demand. This helped to safely regulate entry for visitors and staff.
Action taken
We apologised to the complainant for their experience and provided details on our the inconsistent handling of their accessibility request during peak times.
We also outlined the planned process improvements, which include providing clear guidance to staff to ensure consistent and appropriate adjustments for visitors with declared access needs. We also amended our access request process to better coordinate support and communicate peak times and assistance options to visitors. We also offered the complainant and their carer a voucher for our Shop and Café.
External feedback
Below is a selection of external feedback sites where users can leave independent feedback about our services:
This page was last updated in July 2026.