Visitor information

Here you will find useful information for when you visit the Record Office.

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 - Friday 9.30am - 4.45pm.

A restricted service is available from 12.30 - 2.00pm. We are also open one Saturday morning per month from 9.00 - 12.30pm. Our Saturday opening dates for 2008 are: July 12, August 16, September 20, October 18, November 8 and December 6'

We are closed on Sundays and Bank Holidays. Other dates of closure are detailed in our Latest News 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 (Tel: 01629 585347). 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.

Visitor information

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