Northumberland Archives is the archive service for Northumberland – England’s most northerly county. We collect records relating to the history of Northumberland, its communities and people in our offices at Berwick-upon-Tweed and Woodhorn. Where physical condition or access restrictions allow records can be accessed in our public Study Centre.

Our website provides information about how you can access our services in person or remotely by visiting our Study Centre, ordering certificates and copies, accessing our catalogue, online learning materials and our social media pages. Details of many of our collections are available in our own catalogue and via the Discovery catalogue. You can also learn about some of the projects that we are involved with and all about our consultancy services. 

We are always pleased to provide advice about collections in our care and our services. You can contact us by telephone – 01670 624358 or by e-mail archives@northumberland.gov.uk

Study Centre Information

Woodhorn:

The Study Centre is open 10am-4pm, Wednesday-Friday.

The Study Centre is open the first Saturday of each month, 10am-4pm.

We are offering ‘Behind the Scene Tours’ on the second Saturday of the month: please book tours here

On the third Saturday of each month you can book a research surgery here.

Users of our service must register prior to using The Study Centre. Northumberland Archives is a member of the Archives Card scheme. Details of the scheme can be found here –https://archivescard.com/. You can begin your registration process online before you visit us. 

The Study Centre is located within the main Cutter building on the Woodhorn site. Last document production time is 3.30pm

Please note: Study Centre opening hours differ from those of Woodhorn Museum.

 

Berwick Record Office:

Opening hours are 9.30am-12.45pm & 2pm- 4.45 on Wednesdays and Thursdays.

** Document requests must be made in advance via Eventbrite or email**

Please click here to book a place for documents
(you will need to specify documents and include reference numbers)

Visitors wanting to consult our family history resources or ask for advice can just turn up on our open days and we will do our best to help you.

Hillcrest Maternity Unit, Alnwick

This blog has been researched and written by Hilary Love, one of the volunteers on our maternity care project. Project volunteers are researching maternity care in Northumberland with particular focus on Castle Hills Maternity Home, Berwick, and Mona Taylor Maternity Home, Stannington. We are also researching in less detail some of the other Maternity Homes in the county. This blog provides a brief history of maternity provision at Hilcrest, Alnwick,Northumberland.  Hillcrest was originally a private family home in Alnwick built for

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Linda’s Story

March is Women’s History Month giving us an opportunity to shed light on some of the lesser-known stories of women from our archive. When researching family history, it is common to know what our grandfathers and great-grandfathers did during the Second World War but not many know what their female relatives did during the war. Now, more than ever, it is important to share the stories of those who lived through life changing experiences so that they can be remembered,

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Murder At Bigges Main: Part Four

Welcome to the fourth and final blog in our series on the unsolved murder of John Thomas Bianchi and the assault on his cousin Elizabeth Philipson in January of 1919. Last time we examined the route the pair were taking on the night of the shooting and the route the murderer took on fleeing the scene. We also looked at some of the witness statements and the £50 reward poster. This time let’s get to know the Bianchi family a

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Online Exhibitions

Visit our exhibitions page to view some of the highlights from our collections.

Leaflets and Forms

Looking for a particular leaflet or form? You can find all of our documents in one place here.

Blog Posts

Discover the stories hidden in the archives and catch-up with the latest project news on our blog page.

Online Catalogue

Whether you are looking for something specific or would just like to browse our collections, our online catalogue can help.

Opening Times

Find out when we are open, how you can get to us and any changes to our opening hours.