Visitor information

Before you come to the Derbyshire Record Office:

We would always advise checking in advance whether the Record Office holds the material you want. Also, let us know when you hope to come, as space is limited in the search room. 

Limited car parking is available next to the Record Office. 

On arrival

Using the Record Office is free of charge. 

All we ask is that you fill out a registration form and take it to the reception desk together with proof of your name and address from an official source, such as your driving licence, benefit book, or CARN ticket. Registration is valid for four years. 

Please also enter your name and address in the Visitor Register on each visit. 

There is secure storage for coats and bags in the entrance hall.  

Search room opening hours

The Search Room opening hours are Monday to Friday 9.30am to 4.45pm.  

A restricted service is available from 12.30 to 2pm. We are also open one Saturday morning per month from 9am to 12.30pm. .

We are closed on Sundays and Bank Holidays. Other dates of closure are detailed in our monthly News Update and in our Information for New Visitors booklet. bulletin. 

Collections of documents

Our collections include: 

• the official records of Derbyshire County Council and its predecessors 
• the records of Derby and Derbyshire Quarter Sessions 
• archives of many other Derbyshire public bodies including hospitals, courts, local councils and the Derby probate registry 
• archives of the Diocese of Derby and of over 400 Anglican parishes in the county 
• archives from Derbyshire schools, industries, businesses, societies, charities, estates, families and voluntary groups.                         

These collections include original: 

• parish registers of baptisms, marriages and burials from the 16th century onwards 
• registers of baptisms, marriages and burials in non-conformist chapels from the 17th century onwards 
• personal and estate papers from major Derbyshire families 
• wills and probate records of Derbyshire people from 1858 to 1961 
• cemetery records for most of Derbyshire from the 19th century   
• electoral registers from 1832 
• manuscript and printed plans from the 17th century onwards including estate plans, Tithe Maps, Enclosure Maps and early Ordnance Survey maps. 

Accessing records

You are welcome to consult documents for the purposes of historical research. For official or legal enquiries, please ask the archivist on duty, who will advise about closure periods for specific records. 

It is also worth remembering that you need to reserve a microform reader in advance of your visit if you are using series such as parish registers. There is a self service system for microforms. 

Using the search room

Because archives are unique and irreplaceable, we ask you to take special care of them by using pencil only. Please handle documents very carefully. 

Smoking, eating and drinking are not allowed in the Record Office. You cannot bring mobile phones, cameras, coats or bags into the Search Room. 

How to order original documents

Because the Record Office has over three miles of documents, there are set times for production. A separate request form is needed for each item. 

The latest time for orders for use on the same day is 3.45pm. One document per person will be issued at a time. Issue is subject to the Record Office’s security procedures and to the discretion of the duty archivist. 

Obtaining copies

Subject to copyright restrictions, we can supply you with a photocopy of documents for a charge, provided this can be done without damage to the original. 

The Record Office also has token-operated microfilm reader printers. In all cases, it is necessary to sign a copyright declaration. 

Enquiries

We will answer free of charge all enquiries about our archive collections. 

Specific searches for information from archives in the Record Office are undertaken for a fee, payable in advance. Please contact us for details. 

Publications

Publications include handlists of parish and conformist registers, county maps of parishes, and beginners' guides to archive sources. Please ask for a list and order form.