What is The National Archive: history and purpose

If the old adage that knowledge is power holds true then the leafy suburb of Kew in south-west London may well hold the most powerful institution in the land, The National Archive.

What is The National Archive: history and purpose
What is The National Archive: history and purpose Credit: Photo: PA

Formed in 2003 the archive was born out of the combination of several government organisations; the Public Record Office, the Historical Manuscripts Commission, the Office of Public Sector Information and the beautifully named Her Majesty’s Stationery Office.

As the UK government’s official archive it contains 1,000 years of history from the Domesday Book to the present day – a bewildering array of more than 11m records including paper, parchment, electronic records and websites, photographs, posters, maps, drawings and paintings.

Under current chief executive and keeper Oliver Morley, the archive aims to balance its dual responsibility of being the guardian of some of the nation’s most important documents and at the same time making the records as accessible as possible to members of the public.

In order to do this the archive has on hand teams of research guides to help people find the sources they need as well as tutorials to help people read old documents without damaging them.

Its resources shed light on some pivotal periods in British history – such as the decisive battle of Towton during the War of the Roses, which enjoys its 550th anniversary this year. Original documents tell us how the fate of a kingdom was decided in the largest and bloodiest battle ever fought on British soil, with almost 1pc of the nation’s population perishing in fighting during a bitter snowstorm in Yorkshire on March 29, 1461.

The archive includes details from central government, courts of law and other UK national bodies, including records on genealogy, medieval tax, criminal trials, UFO sightings, the history of foreign countries, as well as many other subjects.

Those wishing to access the resource to research their family history may not even have to leave their homes with many documents accessible through the web archive.

People who are preparing to make the journey to south-west London are advised to bring as much background information as possible to help find the documents they are looking for and are reminded that this is a strictly "no pen" area, with only graphite pencils allowed, in order to protect the records.

The National Archive, a short walk from Kew Gardens station, is housed in an impressive 1977 building, set behind an ornamental pond.

Inside, you are met by staff at the welcome desk, who will help you start your search.

The place you will likely spend most of your time is the peaceful first floor reading room – where you may even bump into TV historians David Starkey and Simon Schama – poring over the documents that bring the past to life.