Discover the Northamptonshire Archives Service

28 January 2025

The service that looks after the historical records of Northamptonshire and makes them available for residents has been recognised for its work with a national accreditation. 

The Northamptonshire Archives Service, that safeguards the county’s unique and irreplaceable archives has recently received the Archive Service Accreditation, the UK standard that defines good practice within the archive sector. 

Residents across the county are being encouraged to explore the archives, which house an amazing eight miles of shelves of documents charting the rich history of the county, dating from the 12th Century to modern times.  

The National Archives accreditation acknowledges the service's commitment to preserving, conserving, and making the documentary archives accessible to the public. 

Documents created by families, businesses, and organisations in the course of their operation or day to day life, varying from title deeds, estate papers, minute and account books, diaries, maps and plans, photographs, and many more are held within the archives. These include first-hand accounts of the great fire of Northampton, royal signatures, and records of poor houses. 

The service, which is run by West Northamptonshire Council on behalf of itself and North Northamptonshire Council for their residents, also helps people to engage with the heritage of their communities, to develop a sense of place, family rootedness, and belonging. Using the archives can also help residents build skills and confidence and support their mental health and wellbeing. 

“It is great news that our Archives Service is now accredited, which is testament to the hard work of all its staff and highlights the progress made over the past few years. The service documents the rich and interesting history and heritage of our county and I’d like to encourage people to explore these irreplaceable archives and discover the diverse range of stories that have helped shape Northamptonshire over the centuries.”Cllr Adam Brown, Leader of West Northamptonshire Council

“I applaud the staff for their hard work and dedication to get to this point. People come from all over the world to visit the Archive Service both in Northampton and at the Archaeological Resource Centre and the service aims to attract people to our county and its heritage by making more material available online. It is especially rewarding explore your family history - seeing the signature of your 18th century ancestor really does help bring the past to life and we are always looking for ways on how we can learn from these archives in the future.

“We look forward to continuing to work with colleagues in West Northants to support the service’s development for future generations.” Cllr Helen Howell, North Northamptonshire Council’s Deputy Leader and Executive Member for Sport, Leisure, Culture and Tourism

For more information about the Archive Service Accreditation visit:  The National Archives