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Blacksmith's forge, 1886. Cat ref: COPY 1/377

Behind the scenes tours

The National Archives now offers visitors the chance to see 'behind the scenes' twice a month. Our free Saturday tours provide a terrific opportunity to see the inner workings of one of the world´s most important archives. They will give you a thorough introduction to the collection and workings of this immensely important resource.

On the tours you can:

  • See and touch some of Britain's most significant historical documents
  • Learn how government documents are selected for preservation and why some are not!
  • Visit our bomb-proof, climate-controlled storage facilities with over 100 miles of shelving
  • See the original Domesday Book and other world famous documents in our Museum
  • Learn what preservation work goes into a thousand year old manuscript
  • Find out why our conservation team love 'sausages'!
  • Learn how we deal with 'Harry the spider' and 'Woolly Bear' if we find them in the repositories
  • Sign up for a free readers card and access documents yourself, from medieval maps to MI5 Files
  • Get advice on starting family and military history research and on dozens of other topics

Tours last approximately two hours and start at 11:00 and 14:00. The tour is suitable for wheelchair users and wheelchairs can be made available on request.

Children are more than welcome if accompanied by an adult but the tour is not really suitable for children under the age of 12.

Places on the tours are limited and pre-booking is essential. To book a free Saturday tour follow the link above or call +44 (0) 20 8876 3444.

We look forward to meeting you!