batharchives.co.uk

Bath Record Office is open to everyone and holds archives, local studies and special collections covering Bath and North East Somerset from the 12th to the 21st century. To visit, you need to pre-book — the office states that pre-booking is essential. The site lists a same-day example of opening hours as 10am–1:00pm and 2:00pm–5:00pm, so treat those as a sample rather than a fixed schedule and confirm current times before you travel.

Before you go: what to check

• Opening times — the "Visit us" section is described as covering "everything you need to know in one place," including opening times and getting here. Check it on the day you plan to attend, since the hours shown on the page are an example for that day.
• Pre-booking — required. Book your visit through the site rather than turning up.
• Accessibility — the visit information includes an accessibility page, useful if you have mobility or access requirements.
• Membership cards — mentioned in the visit information; check whether you need one for the material you want to see.
• Handling and copying records — there are rules for how records may be handled and copied. Read these before your visit so you know what you can photograph or order.

Getting there and what to expect on arrival

The "Visit us" section covers getting here along with opening times. Because the page does not list a street address or transport details in the material available here, use that section for directions rather than relying on a third-party listing.

On arrival, expect to work with original and unique collections. Handling and copying rules apply, and copying may be handled through the office's copying and research service rather than done yourself.

Finding records: start online first

You can identify what you want to see before booking, which makes a visit more productive.

• Online catalogues — a new Archives and Local Studies catalogue is available to search.
• Family history — dedicated starting points include the Bath Burial Index, Bath Ancestors, and the Georgian Newspaper Project.
• Images — the Bath in Time image library lets you discover and purchase over 40,000 historic images of Bath and beyond.
• Research guides — a set of guides is provided to help you get started with a research question or project.
• Collections by topic — records for building history and records of public health are grouped separately, and there is a page explaining what the office does not hold — worth checking early so you don't plan a visit around records held elsewhere.

If you can't visit in person

The copying and research service means staff can assist with your research either on-site or remotely. This is the route to use if you need a specific document checked or copied but cannot attend.

Quick checklist

1. Search the online catalogue and confirm the records you need are held here.
2. Read the relevant research guide for your topic.
3. Check opening times and accessibility information.
4. Pre-book your visit — it is essential.
5. Review handling and copying rules, and the membership card information.
6. If you can't attend, use the copying and research service instead.

Bath Record Office holds archives, local studies and special collections documenting Bath and North East Somerset from the 12th to the 21st century. Its collections are open to everyone, but they are not a complete record of every person, building or event in the area. The office itself publishes a "What we don't hold" page, which is the clearest signal that some enquiries belong elsewhere. If you are trying to work out whether a document is likely to be here, the practical approach is to check the catalogue and research guides first, then contact staff before travelling.

What the collections cover

The office describes its holdings in three broad strands: archives, local studies, and special collections. Within those, several collection areas are named directly on the site.

Building history records

Records for building history are one of the listed collection strengths. These are the kind of documents used to trace when a property was built, who owned or occupied it, and how it changed over time. The office also ran a project called "Imagine: A hundred years of homes in Bath," which drew on records of the history of housing in Bath.

Public health records

Records of public health are a second named collection area, supported by the "Building a Healthier City" project on the history of public health in Bath. These are institutional and administrative records rather than personal medical files.

Local studies and special collections

Local studies material and special collections sit alongside the archives. The site also highlights a "Remarkable Books: Heritage Treasures of Bath Record Office" exhibition, indicating that rare and notable printed items form part of what is held.

Named digital and index resources

Several specific resources are listed, and these are useful because they tell you what has already been indexed or digitised:

• Bath Burial Index – a searchable index of burials.
• Bath Ancestors – a family history resource.
• Georgian Newspaper Project – digitised or indexed Georgian-era newspapers.
• Bath in Time image library – over 40,000 historic images of Bath and beyond, which can be discovered and purchased.
• Archives and Local Studies catalogue – the current online catalogue for searching holdings.

Project-based collections

Current and recent projects indicate additional material: the Wessex Water Cataloguing Project (business records of Wessex Water), Sounds of the South West (digitising at-risk audio collections), and Corona Captured (documenting life during the pandemic).

What the office does not hold

The site includes an explicit "What we don't hold" page under its collections section. This is the authoritative list, and it exists precisely because a significant share of enquiries concern records that are kept elsewhere. Because the specific categories are set out on that page rather than in the general description, the reliable move is to read it directly before assuming a record is here.

As a general principle, a record office of this kind typically does not hold:

• Records of central government or national institutions.
• Records held by other local authorities or neighbouring archives.
• Current operational records of organisations that still hold their own archives.
• Personal medical records or confidential case files.

Treat that list as a prompt to check, not as a substitute for the office's own page.

How to confirm whether a specific record is held

1. Search the online catalogue. The Archives and Local Studies catalogue is the primary finding aid. Enter the place, person, organisation or subject you are researching and note the reference numbers of anything relevant.
2. Check the research guides. The office publishes research guides designed to help you get started on a research or project question. These usually state which records exist for a given topic and, often, which do not.
3. Read the "What we don't hold" page. If your topic appears there, the guide or page will normally point you toward the correct holder.
4. Use the copying and research service if you cannot visit. Staff can assist with research either on-site or remotely. This is the route for confirming a document exists before you plan a trip.
5. Pre-book if you intend to visit. Pre-booking is essential, and opening hours are published on the visit page (for example, a recent listing showed 10am–1pm and 2pm–5pm on an open day). Handling and copying of records is subject to the office's rules, and membership cards are part of the access arrangements.

Practical points before you travel

• Access is open to all, but access to original documents is managed, so expect handling rules and possible copying restrictions.
• Not everything is online. The catalogue tells you what exists; it does not mean every item is digitised. Some material must be consulted on-site.
• Images are a separate service. The Bath in Time image library is for discovering and purchasing historic images, which is a different route from consulting archival documents.
• When in doubt, ask first. A short enquiry to the copying and research service is cheaper than a wasted journey, especially for records that turn out to be held by another repository.

Bath Record Office is the archive service for Bath and North East Somerset, holding archives, local studies and special collections that document the area from the 12th to the 21st century. It is open to everyone, but visits require pre-booking, so plan ahead if you want to consult original records in person. Much of the value for remote users comes through its online catalogues, research guides and image library.

What the office holds

The collections cover the history of Bath and North East Somerset across roughly nine centuries. Beyond general archives, the office highlights several specific strengths:

• Building history records – material for tracing the history of individual buildings.
• Public health records – including the Building a Healthier City project on the history of public health in Bath.
• Business records – such as the Wessex Water cataloguing project.
• Audio collections – the Sounds of the South West project digitising at-risk audio.
• Special collections and exhibitions – including Remarkable Books: Heritage Treasures of Bath Record Office and the Black History Matters online exhibition.

The office also states plainly what it does not hold, which is worth checking before you plan a visit or send a research enquiry.

Services for visitors and remote researchers

Practical points before you go

• Pre-booking is essential. The site lists opening hours (for example, 10am–1pm and 2pm–5pm on the day shown) but access depends on booking.
• Accessibility and membership cards are covered on the visit pages, along with rules on handling and copying records.
• Start online if you can. The catalogue, indexes and guides let you identify what exists before committing to a visit, which matters because original documents are consulted under handling conditions.

Who it is for

Family historians tracing Bath ancestors, people researching the history of a house or building, students and academics, and anyone interested in the heritage of Bath and North East Somerset. If your question concerns a place or institution outside that area, check the "what we don't hold" page first — the office is a local record office, not a national archive.

Bath Record Office's main entry point for online research is its Archives and Local Studies catalogue, which the office describes as newly available. Alongside it, you can search or browse several separate digital resources: the Bath in Time image library (over 40,000 historic images of Bath and beyond, which you can also purchase), family history indexes such as the Bath Burial Index, Bath Ancestors, and the Georgian Newspaper Project, plus project-based digital collections like Sounds of the South West. Use the catalogue when you are looking for archival and local studies material; use the named resources when your question is specifically about images, burials, or Georgian newspapers.

Start with the Archives and Local Studies catalogue

This is the catalogue to use for the office's archives, local studies and special collections, which cover the story of Bath and North East Somerset from the 12th to the 21st century.

1. Open the Find records section of the site and select the online catalogue.
2. Enter what you already know — a name, a place, an organisation, or a subject — rather than a full research question.
3. Read the catalogue entry for the level of the record: a collection-level description tells you what a whole archive contains, while a piece-level entry points to a specific item.
4. Note the reference number and the record's location details before you plan a visit, since not everything described online is immediately viewable.

Expect the catalogue to tell you what exists and where it is held, not to show you the contents of every document. Most archive catalogues describe records rather than reproduce them.

Use the dedicated digital collections for specific questions

Some material is better found outside the main catalogue. Match your question to the right resource:

Plan around what is online versus what requires a visit

The site is explicit that pre-booking is essential to visit, and that everyone is welcome to access the collections in person. Online searching is therefore a preparation step, not a substitute for the reading room.

• Search the catalogue and the digital resources first to identify exact references.
• Check the Visit us pages for opening times and getting there — the office displays current opening hours, for example 10am–1pm and 2pm–5pm on the day shown.
• Review the guidance on membership cards, accessibility, and handling and copying records before you arrive, so you know what you can request and what you can copy.
• If you cannot visit, the office offers a copying and research service where staff can assist on-site or remotely.

Common sticking points

• Assuming everything is digitised. The catalogue describes collections; only some material, such as the image library and specific digitisation projects, is available as digital content.
• Searching a full question. Catalogue searches work better with names, places and reference numbers.
• Skipping the research guides. The office provides research guides to help you get started, which can save time before you search.
• Turning up without booking. Pre-booking is required, so confirm your visit in advance.

Where to go next

If your goal is family history, begin with the family history pages and the Bath Burial Index, then move to the catalogue for specific records. If your goal is images or a specific project, go straight to Bath in Time or the relevant project page. For anything else, start with the Archives and Local Studies catalogue, note your references, and book a visit or use the copying and research service.

Bath Record Office holds archives, local studies and special collections covering Bath and North East Somerset from the 12th to the 21st century, and family history is one of its named research areas. You can start online through its catalogues and indexes, then visit in person if you need original records. Pre-booking a visit is essential, so plan ahead before travelling.

What the office offers family historians

The office looks after archives, local studies and special collections that tell the story of Bath and North Somerset. Everyone is welcome to visit and access the collections. For family history specifically, the site points to these starting points:

• Online catalogues – the Archives and Local Studies catalogue is available to search.
• Bath Burial Index – a named family history resource.
• Bath Ancestors – a named family history resource.
• Georgian Newspaper Project – a themed resource that can add context or names to Bath families in that period.
• Bath in Time image library – over 40,000 historic images of Bath and beyond, which you can discover and purchase.
• Research guides – a set of guides designed to help you get started with your research or project.

The office also notes what it does not hold, which matters before you assume a record will be there.

Start with the online tools

1. Search the catalogue. Use the Archives and Local Studies catalogue to see whether records relevant to a name, street or institution are held. The catalogue is described as new and now available.
2. Check the named indexes. Try the Bath Burial Index and Bath Ancestors for people connected to the area.
3. Use the Georgian Newspaper Project if your family was in Bath in the Georgian period and might appear in newspaper content.
4. Look at Bath in Time for images of places linked to your family — useful for confirming a street, building or neighbourhood.
5. Read the research guides before requesting anything. They are intended to help you get started, so they can save you from ordering records that won't answer your question.

Plan an in-person visit

If the catalogue shows original records you need to see, the visit page is the place to check practical details. The site states that pre-booking is essential, and lists opening times, getting here, accessibility, membership cards, and handling and copying records. On the day the excerpt was captured, opening hours were 10am–1:00pm and 2:00pm–5:00pm, but you should confirm current times on the Visit us page before relying on them.

Expect to find guidance on:

• Opening times
• Getting here
• Accessibility
• Membership cards
• Handling and copying records
• FAQs

If you can't visit in person

The office runs a copying and research service: staff can assist with your research either on-site or remotely. This is the route to use if you need something checked or copied but cannot travel. Details are under "Copying & research service."

What to check before you assume a record exists

The collections include records for building history and records of public health, alongside the family history resources. The site also has a "What we don't hold" page. Read that before concluding a record is missing or before making a special trip — it can redirect you to the right archive instead.

A practical order of work

1. Read the research guides for your topic.
2. Search the online catalogue.
3. Check Bath Burial Index, Bath Ancestors and the Georgian Newspaper Project.
4. Note the references you want to see.
5. Book a visit, or use the copying and research service if you can't come in.
6. On the day, follow the handling and copying rules and bring your membership card if you have one.