The following services are available at the County Record Office:

• Free access for personal visitors;
• Enquiry and advice service;
• Research service by staff for people unable to come to the office;
• Copying service (subject to copyright and the physical condition of the documents);
• Document conservation; and
• A records management system for the County Council and other clients.

There are three ways in which members of the public can conduct research using material held by the County Record Office:

• Online research
• Research in person
• Our in-house research service

You can find more details of these below.

Online research

Searching the catalogue

Summaries of all our holdings are available online. You can use our online catalogue to search more than 4,000 summary descriptions from all our collections and item-level descriptions of selected collections. Searching the catalogue is free.

Please note that our online catalogue will not be available from Wednesday 27 February to Friday 29 February 2013, inclusive, whilst we carry out an upgrade to the database.  We apologise for any inconvenience this may cause.

This online access has been made possible through the North Yorkshire's Archives Revealed project, funded by the Heritage Lottery Fund.

Buying publications

We publish texts and facsimiles of historical documents; lists and descriptions of records we hold; and studies in local history. For a full list of publications, including an order form, see the publications leaflet in the useful downloads section.

Research in person

The County Record Office has many facilities available for visitors, researchers, educators and others. There is no charge to visit the County Record Office, but you should make an appointment before visiting. Bookings can be made by telephone, e-mail, fax, post or in person. Fees are charged for copies and for our research, records management, conservation and reprographic services.

Please contact the record office to make an appointment to visit.

For more information about the facilities available and guidelines for handing the archive documents, see the frequently asked questions below.

County Record Office in-house research service

Searches of the records can be carried out by staff in the County Record Office. This costs £38 an hour, with a minimum charge of £19. The fee includes VAT and postage. It covers the time spent on the search, not the results. We cannot guarantee that the information you have requested will be found.

Applying to use the research service

Send your request in writing, specifying your requirements and including payment in advance and your address and contact details. If you are unsure about where to start, please contact the record office for advice.

Make your request as clear and specific as possible, particularly regarding names, dates and places. We are unable to undertake extensive open-ended research. For example, a search could not be undertaken for a "Samuel Metcalfe" who lived somewhere in Yorkshire in the seventeenth century. However, it would be reasonable to begin a search in the parish registers for him and his family, if it were known that he was living in Grinton around 1680. Please contact us if you would like to discuss your research before applying.

We aim to respond to requests within 20 working days. We usually undertake a maximum of two hours' research at one time. More extensive searches may be carried out in instalments.

Once the research is complete, you will receive a letter indicating which sources we checked and what relevant information was found. A limited number of printed copies will be supplied, where appropriate. Copies can also be ordered separately.

Please see the record office fees page for a full price list.

Historic maps online

You can explore a range of interactive historic maps using our online mapping system.

County Record Office online catalogue Search through our catalogue of over 4,000 summary descriptions from all our archive collections and item level descriptions of selected collections

Useful downloads County Record Office publications and order form [57kb] [pdf] This document provides a list of County Record Office publications available for purchase. An order form is included at the end. Please follow the instructions to order items from the County Record Office.   Weblinks Please note: All external websites open in a new browser window and NYCC is not responsible for the content of external websites. A2A: Access to Archives A2A is part of the UK archives network. The A2A database contains catalogues describing archives held locally in England and Wales and dating from the eighth century to the present day. Archives Hub A national searchable database of archive collections in UK universities and colleges. GENUKI - UK & Ireland genealogy A large collection of genealogical information pages for England, Ireland, Scotland, Wales, the Channel Islands and the Isle of Man. The National Archives The National Archives is the UK government's official archive, containing over 1,000 years of history, from the Domesday Book to the present day. Contacts County record office archives@northyorks.gov.uk Tel: 01609 777585 Fax: 01609 777078 Full details for County record office