Find out how you can access the collections for research, get copies or even buy photos for yourself or as a gift.
Visits to the Archives Service will be by appointment only. You will need to register for an 'Archives Card' before making your visit. See our blog for details and contact us to arrange an appointment.
Appointments for using a Public Computer or a Microfiche Reader
To use computers or microfiche readers please book in advance, bookings on the day will be subject to availability.
Appointments for consulting archives
To view original archives, customers need to book their appointment and order documents in advance, preferably by 1pm on the previous working day. For example, for an appointment on Wednesday, submit your document request by 1pm on Tuesday, or for bookings on Saturday and Monday, you should submit your request by 1pm on the Friday before.
Customers wishing to use the East Riding Register of Deeds need to book in advance.
Donating or depositing archives
You will need to make an appointment in advance to deposit or donate records before bringing in the records.
The research room has two parts, the computer area and the document viewing area. You will need to sign in at reception when you arrive. The research room has study tables, computers, microfiche and microfilm, local history books on open shelves and a self-serve photocopier and printer (see charges on the shop page).
You can access some family history websites free of charge from the computers in the research room. There is also a private interview room to talk about your research, and rooms to watch and listen to our collection of audiovisual archives.
Note: You must register for the Archives Card on archivescard.com before you arrive for your appointment. Registration is free and will allow readers to consult documents, and access the archives computers and microfiche readers. For more information, read our blog post on the Archives Card scheme.
Rules for the East Riding Archives research room are in place to ensure the protection of items and encourage a positive environment for staff and visitors. Before your visit, please read through all rules.
The archives are most often used for personal or professional research. To help you get started, we have created guides on popular research topics.
All copies of archive items must be within copyright law. If you want a copy of an archive item to use in a publication, such as a book, please see reproduction in publication costs below.
Was it the spot of your first date? A memory of an ancestor? There are many places that hold special connections and memories for us. Now you can gift a little piece of East Riding history to friends, family, and yourself. It's a great way to bring a vintage feel to any home or business.
Choose from more than 1,500 wonderful scenes from our postcard collection, spanning from the 19th century to the 1960s. Our original images have been carefully digitised to help preserve East Riding heritage for future generations, and give wider access to the fascinating and beautiful history of the area. You can buy high-quality prints in a range of sizes from 6x4 to 2x16.
Price: various
Where to buy: Buy online on the East Riding Photos website.
Buy the Trawling Through Time: The Story Of Cook, Welton & Gemmell on DVD. Once a global shipbuilding powerhouse, the local company produced over 1300 vessels from its shipyard at Beverley, including fishing trawlers, tugs and minesweepers in the 20th Century.
Price: £5.99
Where to buy: Beverley Tourist Information Centre, at the Treasure House.
Discover the stories of 50 local people whose photographs were published in the Beverley Guardian during World war One, researched by volunteers from the East Riding Archives.
Price: £4.50
Where to buy: Reception at East Riding Archives, at the Treasure House.
Take a peek into the inner workings of East Riding Archives with a behind-the-scenes tour for your group. Learn about the conservation workshop, the special materials needed to preserve paper documents over time and the environment-controlled strongrooms that house all the mysteries of East Riding heritage. Lectures from our archivists are also available. For costs and available dates, please get in touch. Check out the events page for any upcoming activities.
Half-hour search help - £15
If you are unable to search through records at East Riding Archives, you can request a half-hour session by one of our trained staff. This service does not guarantee our staff can find information relevant to your research. To get the most out of your half-hour, it is best to provide as much detail as possible, such as names, places and date ranges to focus on. We cannot search for open-ended topics.
To request research help, you will need to provide the item number you would like to be searched for. This can be found in our online catalogue. A non-refundable fee of £15 must be paid when you request the search. Our staff will complete the search and forward the results via email within 10 working days.
We can search the following types of records:
If you need a longer search or a lot of research you should employ a record searcher. The following external websites may help you:
To reproduce items from East Riding Archives in any publication, printed or digital, there is a £28 publication license fee per item produced, with additional copy charges depending on the size and nature of the project. In lieu of the fee, copies of the final publication may be accepted instead. All decisions of the Archives Manager are final. To discuss details of your project, and for advice on copyright ownership of the items you wish to reproduce, please supply us with your contact details and a brief overview of the project, and one of our team will get back to you within 10 working days.
We welcome all academic researchers, primary school, college and university students, tutors and lecturers. Archives are the perfect source for research in history, art, creative writing and more. The Treasure House Education Officer can provide support for academic research and help arrange talks, tours and collections study sessions. Get in touch for more information.
Image: Beverley [Grammar School] class c.1930s (archive ref DDBB-2-8-16).
East Riding Archives can provide key evidence from the past such as decisions made by local authorities, previous land use and property ownership in the Register of Deeds. This can be used to prove facts and as evidence in legal matters. Our staff can help you find the documents you need, but unfortunately, we cannot supply legal advice. Please note: There are charges for staff research and photocopies.
Image: Police officers on Beverley Westwood[presumed] 1920 (archive ref POL-3-11-6-10)
Following payment, we will send your copies.