The National Archives - Blogs at The National Archives

Where Paper Remembers: South Asian Stories – A model for regional engagement

2026-06-15T09:49:00Z

Iqbal Singh and Dr Shaniece Martin recently co‑led a workshop in Coventry inspired by the exhibition Stories That Made Us – Roots, Resilience, Representation.

The day a missile struck The National Archives' site

2026-06-11T10:00:00Z

When Chris Ransted learned that during the Second World War, a V1 flying bomb hit the site where The National Archives now stands, he chose to investigate.

Researching LGBTQ+ histories in the archives of government

2026-06-09T09:00:00Z

In this blog post Vicky Iglikowski-Broad explains how you can get started in researching LGBTQ+ histories through government records.

Recovering histories of Scandinavian seafarers in the Prize Papers

2026-06-04T10:00:00Z

On a three-month placement at the National Archives, Kaia Sollie explored records about Danish, Swedish, and Norwegian seafaring in the seventeenth century.

Celebrating Volunteers’ Week 2026

2026-06-02T09:00:00Z

To celebrate Volunteers' week, The National Archives’ Keith Mitchell reflects on the achievements of our volunteers and their projects.

Cataloguing the copyright collection

2026-05-29T09:01:00Z

In this blog post, Katherine Howells explores how our volunteers have catalogued copyright records and highlights the stories they can tell us.

Caribbean and West African scholars to lead new research into transatlantic slavery

2026-05-28T10:47:00Z

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The A–Z of the Royal Navy Captains' letters project – 'N' to 'Z'

2026-05-21T09:00:00Z

Bruno Pappalardo reports on the final findings of the volunteer Royal Navy Captains’ letters project.

200th UK archive awarded accredited status

2026-05-18T11:46:00Z

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Exploring archival value: Does the ‘perfect parchment’ exist?

2026-05-18T09:00:00Z

Olivia Page looks back on a recent conservation workshop that explored the sensory and physical qualities of historical materials.

Using our records to connect through nature

2026-05-18T09:00:00Z

In this blog post, Sara Griffiths discusses our learnings from recent outreach sessions to mark Dementia Action Week.

The National Archives wins Museums + Heritage Award

2026-05-14T10:30:00Z

MI5: Official Secrets, The National Archives exhibition co-curated with MI5, won the Museums + Heritage Award in the category, Temporary or Touring Exhibition.

The Many Lives of Cardboard

2026-05-13T10:00:00Z

In this blog, Lucy Razzall explores how The Many Lives of Cardboard project uses documents from our collection to trace the histories of this everyday material.

On the Record: The People’s Charter

2026-05-13T09:00:00Z

In this episode of On the Record, we explore Chartism, Britain’s first mass political movement, driven by the working classes.

Cataloguing British Army officer service records

2026-05-13T09:00:00Z

Find out how our volunteers have improved catalogue descriptions for 19th-century military service records.

Trailer – On the Record: The People’s Charter

2026-05-12T09:00:00Z

In our next episode, we explore the rise of Chartism, the 19th-century working-class mass movement that shook Britain’s political establishment.

The architectural history of postcolonial West African universities

2026-05-11T09:00:00Z

In this blog, PhD student Adefola Toye considers how she has used colonial records to research West Africa's architectural history as part of her PhD.

Cataloguing the BT 51 and BT 50 registered designs

2026-05-08T09:00:00Z

Explore how a team of volunteers have transcribed The National Archives’ records of registered designs from 1885–1888.

How the design of our new online catalogue puts users first

2026-04-28T07:00:00Z

Find out how the Digital Services team approached the design of the new catalogue and how users play a vital role in shaping our services.

Clues from the high seas: tracing Suriname’s textile histories in the Prize Papers

2026-04-27T10:00:00Z

Viveca Mellegard explains how she used scientific analysis to investigate textile samples seized from a ship sailing from Suriname in 1795.

Responding to love: A thank you to our love letter writers

2026-04-22T13:00:00Z

As part of our Love Letters exhibition, visitors were invited to write a love letter of their own. Join me in reflecting on them.

UK Government Records Relating To The Troubles Published By The National Archives

2026-04-21T13:51:00Z

A batch of almost 1,000 UK Government records relating to the Troubles has been digitised and published online by the National Archives.

Accessing the digitised Northern Ireland Troubles records

2026-04-21T10:00:00Z

Explore how to access material related to the Troubles online through The Northern Ireland Digitisation Project.

Launching the Northern Ireland Troubles Digitisation Project

2026-04-21T09:00:00Z

Today, we launch the first release of the Northern Ireland Digitisation Project, a major four-year research and access initiative.

Government publishes national vision for archives in England

2026-04-20T14:51:00Z

The government has published ‘Archives at the Heart of Society’, a new national vision for archives in England.

Exhibition to explore the making of America to feature rare Declaration of Independence

2026-04-20T13:00:00Z

A major 2026 exhibition will explore the birth of the United States of America to coincide with the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence.

Addressing offensive terminology in our catalogue

2026-04-07T09:00:00Z

In this blog, Andrew Janes explores how The National Archives team is addressing offensive terminology within our catalogue descriptions.

Introducing export templates: Customise DROID exports without external tools

2026-03-27T10:00:00Z

We've added a new feature to DROID, our software that helps archives with digital preservation workflows: customisable export templates.

On the Record: The Putney Debates

2026-03-26T09:00:00Z

On this episode of On the Record, we step inside St Mary’s Church, Putney in 1647, where many wrestled with bold, world shaping ideas.

Trailer – On the Record: The Putney Debates

2026-03-24T14:21:00Z

In our next episode of On the Record, we step inside St Mary’s Church, Putney in 1647, where many wrestled with bold, world shaping ideas.

Debenhams archive saved by collaboration

2026-03-23T09:37:00Z

Individuals and organisations working together has secured the future of the historic Debenhams archive.

MI5: Official Secrets exhibition shortlisted for national award

2026-03-19T12:07:00Z

An exhibition co-curated by The National Archives and MI5 has been shortlisted for a national award.

The Ministry of Munitions and a surprise discovery in the archive

2026-03-18T10:00:00Z

Finding a tiny object attached to some paper documents reminded me how the materiality of archives can connect us to the past.

Your stories matter – new funding for community archiving

2026-03-17T12:18:00Z

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Chinese wallpaper analysis kicks off Year of the Horse

2026-03-12T16:03:00Z

One of the most comprehensive analytical studies of Chinese export wallpaper has begun in our conservation studio

On the Record: Magna Carta

2026-03-05T09:00:00Z

In this first instalment of our miniseries People and Power, we find out more about the document from 1215 that became known as Magna Carta, or ‘great charter'.

Allocating collections acceptance in lieu of tax 2024-5

2026-03-04T11:00:00Z

Every year, The National Archives receive documents, archives or collections through the UK Art Council's Acceptance in Lieu scheme.

Trailer – On the Record: Magna Carta

2026-03-03T10:00:00Z

In our next episode of On the Record, the first in our People and Power miniseries, we explore two medieval documents that reshaped ideas of power in society.

Help us improve Government Licensing guidance

2026-02-20T10:00:00Z

We're looking for public sector information providers and people who re-use this data to participate in user research, to make sure we are meeting your needs.

Researching Love Letters

2026-02-13T09:00:00Z

Discover how expressions of love have been uncovered in unexpected places by The National Archive.

Prototyping digital technology for collaboration and exploration

2026-02-11T10:00:00Z

Digital researcher Bernard Ogden reflects on using experimental technology to foster co-learning between digital and collection experts.

Advisory Council on National Records and Archives appointments and reappointments

2026-02-10T15:52:00Z

The Secretary of State has reappointed three members, and appointed two new members to the Advisory Council on National Records and Archives.

Subhas Chandra Bose and India at war

2026-02-09T09:00:00Z

This blog explores the complex history of India’s role as part of the British Empire between 1939–45, during the Second World War.

Increase in fees

2026-01-30T10:17:00Z

On Monday 2 February 2026, The National Archives will increase fees for some services as we bring charges in line with current delivery costs.

On the Record: Love Letters

2026-01-29T09:00:00Z

This episode looks at the extraordinary collection of love letters, spanning centuries, that you might not expect to find in a government archive.

Trailer – On the Record: Love Letters

2026-01-27T09:00:00Z

In our next episode of On the Record, we explore 500 years of devotion, longing and forbidden love from our new Love Letters exhibition.

Pupils in North East England get hands-on with history

2026-01-26T09:00:00Z

Our collaboration with North East Museums will allow young people in North East England to work with our historic records without having to travel to London.

A place of refuge in the colonies

2026-01-26T09:00:00Z

The National Archives holds powerful material relating to the Holocaust. With over 11 million records on the topic, what stories can we uncover?

Until Sat 12 April: Love Letters exhibition reveals the lengths we go for love

2026-01-22T10:38:00Z

Love letters relating to some of the most famous love affairs in British history are on show at The National Archives from Saturday 24 January 2026.

The National Archives welcomes new directors

2026-01-21T09:00:00Z

Tobi Adetimilehin joins the organisation as Finance Director and Claire Wightman is appointed Director of People, Inclusion, and Change.