The National Archives

Who we are

The National Archives, which covers England, Wales and the United Kingdom, was formed in April 2003 by bringing together the Public Record Office and the Historical Manuscripts Commission. It is responsible for looking after the records of central government and the courts of law, and making sure everyone can look at them. The collection is one of the largest in the world and spans an unbroken period from the 11th century to the present day.

We advise government departments and the wider public sector on best practice in records management as well as selecting government records of enduring historical value which will be preserved forever. We strive to make our collection as accessible as possible to the community at large and to heighten our profile both nationally and internationally. Our education service is committed to sharing and interpreting records for the benefit of academics and students of all ages.

One of our major achievements in the past few years has been the development of electronic records management, which will replace paper-based systems. We are at the forefront of this advance and will continue to develop it and advise others on its use. We have also pioneered the digitisation of records on paper and other traditional media so that they now can be seen online.

Through the National Register of Archives and the Manorial Documents Register, we maintain up to date information on non-governmental records that deal with British history. This covers records throughout the UK and overseas. We also advise owners, custodians and users of official and private archives alike.

The National Archives is an equal opportunities employer and renewed our Investors in People (IiP) accreditation in March 2003. We also hold the Chartermark for the quality of our public services.

See Getting started, if you would like to use The National Archives.