SOUTH WEST HERITAGE TRUST

Please see our Directions page for How to Find Us instructions, as well as information about local and public transport.

Tuesday to Friday 9.00 am–5.00 pm

The 2nd Saturday of each month 9.00 am–1.30 pm

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​The office is closed on Mondays, and on public and bank holidays

We are open on the second Saturday of each month: 9.00 am - 1.30 pm (last document orders at 1.00 pm).  Please find below a list of the Saturdays we are open in 2018:

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Saturday 13 January 2018

Saturday 10 February 2018

Saturday 10 March 2018

Saturday 14 April 2018

Saturday 12 May 2018

Saturday 9 June 2018

Saturday 14 July 2018

Saturday 11 August 2018

Saturday 8 September 2018

Saturday 13 October 2018

Saturday 10 November 2018

Saturday 8 December 2018

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From September 2018, there will be some changes to how you access original documents on Saturdays at the Somerset Heritage Centre.

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- Please order documents in advance, by 12.00 pm on the preceding Friday

- Up to 8 documents per visitor may be pre-ordered for a Saturday visit

- We may need to limit further document production during busy periods, to enable staff to be available in the searchroom to assist you with your enquiries

- Document productions will take place from 9.00 am to 12.30 pm

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These changes will help us to offer a high level of customer service on Saturdays.

We issue South West Heritage Trust readers' tickets which are valid for four years.  If you have not visited us before, please bring some form of identification containing your name, current address and signature (for example a driving licence, utility bill and other ID with signature) so we can issue you with one of our readers' tickets.  

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South West Heritage Trust readers' tickets are valid at Devon Heritage Centre, Somerset Heritage Centre, North Devon Record Office and the North Somerset archive service.

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Please be aware that we do not accept passports, tickets from The National Archives or library cards.  We are not part of the CARN ticket scheme and do not accept CARN tickets.

If your card has expired please bring some identification with you when you visit, so we can issue you with a new readers' ticket.

There are 23 document and 20 microfiche spaces at the Somerset Heritage Centre, plus space for visitors to consult library books.  If you would like to look at microfiche, newspaper microfilms or original documents, please make an appointment before you visit to make sure we have space for you.  We can get very busy, and sometimes we cannot accommodate visitors who have not booked beforehand.  To make an appointment please phone 01823 337600.  

The majority of our catalogues can be viewed online from our Online Catalogues page. From here select the Somerset Archives Catalogue link.

In the searchbox that appears, type any keywords, and click search.  The results can be ordered by Relevance, Reference Number or Date depending on your preference.  To view a catalogue description in detail click on the reference number of the item in which you are interested.  Further guidance on searching the online catalogue can be found in the ‘Help’ section of the Online Catalogue, or by clicking the question mark logos scattered around the page. 

Documents are produced throughout the day as and when they are needed, stopping at 4.00 pm on weekdays and 1.00 pm on Saturdays.  You can pre-order up to four documents to have waiting for you when you arrive.  After that, you can order four documents at a time.  It may take 10 - 15 minutes for documents to arrive if we are busy.  If you have a long list of documents to get through in a short space of time, please email us your list a few days beforehand so we can be prepared for you.

Please note we cannot pre-order maps and large documents for a time when another visitor has booked the map table.  On Saturdays as we have fewer staff it is very helpful if you can email or phone us in advance with the references of the documents you would like to see. 

Please see our Online Catalogue for more information.

We need 24 hours' notice to produce some of our photographs.  This is because they are kept in a cold store to preserve them better, and they need to come up to temperature gradually to avoid damage.  Photographs where this is the case are marked on the online catalogue with [STORED IN COLD STORE - PLEASE REQUEST ITEMS 24 HOURS AHEAD OF INTENDED VISIT].  There is no restriction on the number of items from the Cold Store that you can pre-order.

You can bring in a camera to take photographs of documents, as long as you purchase a photographic licence from the main reception.  Charges apply for Daily, Weekly, Monthly and Annual licences.  Please see our Charges page for more information.

If you intend to publish images or post them on the internet you will need to apply for persmision from the Archives and Local Studies Service, using our Permission to Publish form.

There is a free public car park at the front of the building, with space for around 30 cars.  There is a small refreshment area with tables and chairs.  Hot drinks and a range of snacks are available to purchase, and water is also available.  Two sandwich vans visit the premises every weekday, the first at around 10.00 am and the second at around 1.00 pm.

There are two buildings on the site.  The public archive searchroom is situated in Building One, and there is a separate research room in Building Two for looking at museum objects.  If you would like to see museum objects please contact museums@swheritage.org.uk to make arrangements with the museum curator before you visit.

There are three disabled parking spaces for Building One and three for Building Two.  Both buildings have disabled toilets.  There is a height-adjustable desk in the searchroom, and a hearing loop in Building One reception, the searchroom and the Learning Room, as well as a portable hearing loop for the rest of the site.  A lift is available in both Building One and Building Two.

The main searchroom has an area for microfiche and microfilm viewing, tables for looking at original archive documents, open-access library bookshelves and seven public access computers.  There is wireless internet access and plug sockets are available for laptops.

If you want to arrange a group visit, please see our Group Visits leaflet and Booking Form, and please get in touch well in advance so we can make sure we can meet your requirements.

It is free to visit the Somerset Heritage Centre in person to look at the documents and other objects we hold, to use the North Somerset Archive Service, and to receive general advice about your research.  

There are a range of charges for copying, for the use of private cameras, for detailed research, conservation work, outreach and education services.  Please see our Charges page for more information.

Please see our FAQ page or get in touch with us if you have any further questions.  Contact us on 01823 278805, or at somersetarchives@swheritage.org.uk.