Members of the public are welcome to visit the Cumbria Archive Centres personally where our staff are available to give basic assistance free of charge. We are also happy to answer general enquiries by email, telephone or post relating to the whereabouts of records, the holdings of the Cumbria Archives, or supply advice about the use of archives for a particular area of research, free of charge. You can find more details about our enquiry service on our Copying Services page or find a list paid researchers who will research on your behalf. If you would like to start researching your Family History you may find it helpful to read our guide to Starting Your Cumbrian Family History first.
The particular Archive Centre to contact depends of the location of your enquiry. The Cumbria Archives map shows areas of Cumbria covered by our four Archive Centres:
Barrow Archive Centre
Carlisle Archive Centre
Kendal Archive Centre
Whitehaven Archive Centre
Cumbria Archives cares for parish registers, other church records, wills, electoral registers, maps and plans, poor law records, title deeds, and photographs. The archives of many families, businesses, local authorities, solicitors, societies and schools also help form a fascinating record of all aspects of life in the county.
We provide:
- Places in our Archive Centres where you can look at archives for yourselves
- An education service for local schools, colleges, students and teachers
- Information and advice on the preservation and conservation of archives
- Facilities for official organisations, churches, businesses and members of the public to donate or deposit archives for safe-keeping
- Exhibitions and talks on the work of Cumbria Archives and archives in our care
Find out about registering for an Archives Card