Archive Repositories

This page lists the major archives offices and libraries that have local studies collections relevant to west Kent.

Until recent years the Kent Archives Office in Maidstone was the main repository for most original records relating to Kent. However, since the 1980s there has been a move to transfer these records to local record offices. Thus parish material referring to the outer London Boroughs was transferred to the appropriate boroughs of Bexley, Bromley and Lewisham, while some of the records for the borough of Greenwich went to the Greater London Record Office (now the London Metropolitan Archives). In 1990 all material concerning parishes east of the Medway was transferred to Canterbury Archives Office. At the same time, material for many parishes in the north of the county, west of the river Medway, were transferred to the Medway Area Archives Office, from April 1998 renamed the Medway Archives and Local Studies Centre.

The other important change was the closure of the Kent Local Studies Library at Springfield (Maidstone) and the transfer of its material to the Kent Archives Office, which was then renamed the Centre for Kentish Studies (CKS). Thus the main collection of books, periodicals and other published matter joined the main holdings of archival material on one site in Maidstone.

Details of domestic arrangements such as days of opening and parking facilities are given for each repository to help researchers avoid potential problems.

Click on a repository name...
Bexley Local Studies Centre Bromley Local Studies Centre for Kentish Studies Dartford Central Library Family Records Centre Gillingham Reference Library Gravesend Reference Library Greenwich Heritage Centre Lewisham Local Studies & Archives Centre	London Metropolitan Archives Maidstone Reference Library Medway Archives and Local Studies Centre The National Archives Sevenoaks Local Studies Library Society of Genealogists Tonbridge Local Studies Library Tunbridge Wells Reference Library

Bexley Local Studies Centre
Address	Bexleyheath Central Library, Townley Road, Bexleyheath DA6 7HJ
Telephone	020-8301-1545
Email
Opening Hours	Mon-Wed & Fri: 9.30-5.30; Thu: 9.30-8.00; Sat: 9.30-5.00; Sun: 10.00-2.00
Other Details	Appointment advisable for computer Parking (charged) next door, refreshments nearby, toilets on site Suitable for disabled 25 seats, 4 film/fiche readers (2 are reader/printers), 2 fiche readers
Web	www.bexley.gov.uk/service/lib-localstudies.html

Bromley Local Studies
Address	Bromley Central Library, Floor 2, High St, Bromley BR1 1EX.
Telephone	020-8461-7170
Email
Opening Hours	Mon, Wed & Fri: 9.30-6.00, Tue & Thu: 9.30-8.00, Sat: 9.30-5.00
Other Details	Appointment required to see certain material requiring microfilm readers, advisable to pre-order original documents. Parking, refreshments and toilets nearby Suitable for disabled 24 seats, 15 microfiche readers, 1 microfilm/fiche reader-printer, 3 m/film reader-printers
Web	www.library.bromley.gov.uk/archive/index.htm (on-line catalogue)

Centre for Kentish Studies
Address	County Hall, Maidstone, Kent ME14 1XQ
Telephone	01622-694363
Email
Opening Hours	Mon: closed, Tue,Wed,Fri: 9.00-5.00, Thu: 10.00-5.00, Sat: 2nd & 4th of each month, 9.00-1.00
Other Details	CARN ticket and appointment required. Toilets on site, parking and refreshments nearby. Suitable for disabled. 24 seats, 24 microfilm/fiche readers, which must be pre-booked.
Web	www.kent.gov.uk/e&l/artslib/ARCHIVES/archcks.html

Dartford Central Library
Address	Central Park, Dartford DA1 1EU
Telephone	01322-221133 / 08458 247200
Opening Hours	Mon-Wed: 8.30-6.00, Thu: 8.30-8.00, Fri: 8.30-6.00, Sat: 9.00-5.00 [correct Sep 06].
Other Details	Appointment preferred for microfilm/fiche readers. Parking, refreshments and toilets nearby. Suitable for disabled. 28 seats, 2 microfilm readers (one with printing facility), 1 microfiche reader.
Web	www.kent.gov.uk/libraries (general website for Kent libraries)

Family Records Centre
Address	1 Myddelton Street, London EC1R 1UW
Telephone	020-7233-9233
Opening Hours	Mon: 9.00-5.00, Tue: 10.00-7.00, Wed: 9.00-5.00, Thu: 9.00-7.00, Fri: 9.00-5.00, Sat: 9.00-5.00
Other Details	Appointment not required. NCP car parks nearby, toilets on site. Suitable for disabled.
Web	www.open.gov.uk/pro/frc.htm

Gillingham Reference Library
Address	High Street, Gillingham, Kent ME7 1BG
Telephone	01634-337340
Email
Opening Hours	Mon: 9.00-7.00, Tue: 10.00-7.00, Wed-Fri: 9.00-7.00, Sat 9.00-5.00
Other Details	Appointment required for microfilm & m/fiche. Free parking (2hrs) nearby; toilets on site, refreshments in the vicinity. Suitable for disabled. Microfilm/fiche reader-printer (appointment needed)
Web	www.medway.gov.uk/index/leisure/localhistory/27558.htm

Gravesend Reference Library
Address	Windmill Street, Gravesend DA12 1BE
Telephone	01474-365600/352758
Opening Hours	Mon: 9.30-6.00, Tue-Thu: 9.30-5.00, Fri: 9.30-6.00, Sat: 9.30-5.00
Other Details	Appointment required to see certain material. Parking, refreshments and toilets nearby. Suitable for disabled. 12 seats, 2 microfilm readers, 1 microfilm reader/printer, 1 microfiche reader

Greenwich Heritage Centre
Address	Artillery Square, Royal Arsenal, Woolwich SE18 4DX
Telephone	020-8854-2452
Email
Opening Hours	Mon: closed, Tue-Sat: 9.00-5.00
Other Details	Ample free car parking at Woolwich Arsenal
Web	www.greenwich.gov.uk/Greenwich/LeisureCulture/HistoryAndHeritage/HeritageCentre/

Lewisham Local Studies & Archives Centre
Address	199-201 Lewisham High St, London SE13 6LG
Telephone	020-8297-0682
Email
Opening Hours	Mon: 10.00-5.00, Tue: 9.00-8.00, Wed: closed, Thu: 9.00-8.00, Fri: 9.00-5.00, Sat: 9.00-5.00 (occasional limited service 12.00-2.00)
Other Details	Appointment advisable, especially for microfilm or on Saturdays Toilets in building. Suitable for disabled. 16 seats plus microfilm readers, reader/printer; microfilm on open access.
Web	www.lewisham.gov.uk/LeisureAndCulture/Libraries/BranchLibraries/LewishamLocalStudiesCentre.htm

London Metropolitan Archives
Address	40 Northampton Road, Clerkenwell, London EC1R 0HB
Telephone	020-7332-3820
Opening Hours	Mon: 9.30-4.45, Tue: 9.30-7.30, Wed: 9.30-4.45, Thu: 9.30-7.30Fri: 9.30-4.45, some Saturdays
Other Details	Appointment not required. Toilets in building, parking for blue/orange badge holders (by arrangement), refreshments in the vicinity Suitable for disabled. Microfilm on open access, both manual & powered microfilm readers
Web	www.cityoflondon.gov.uk/Corporation/leisure_heritage/libraries_archives_museums_galleries/lma/lma.htm

Maidstone Reference Library
Address	St. Faith Street, Maidstone, Kent
Telephone	01622-752344
Opening Hours	Mon: 9.30-7.00, Tue-Fri: 9.30-6.00, Sat: 9.30-5.00.
Other Details	Appointment required. Parking, refreshments and toilets nearby. NOT suitable for disabled. 22 seats, 2 microfilm/fiche reader/printers, 2 microfiche readers.

Medway Archives and Local Studies Centre
Address	Civic Centre, Strood, Rochester, Kent ME2 4AU
Telephone	01634-332238 (bookings)
Email
Opening Hours	Mon 9.00-5.00, Tue: 9.00-6.00, Wed: closed, Thu & Fri: 9.00-5.00, Sat: 9.00-4.00 (Closed for stocktaking first two weeks of November).
Other Details	Appointment essential for archive material & microfilm/fiche, CARN ticket required for access to archival material. 6 bookable document seats, plus other desks. 7 microfilm readers, 3 microfiche readers.
Web	cityark.medway.gov.uk ('CityArk' archives catalogue)

The National Archives
Address	Ruskin Avenue, Kew, Surrey TW9 4DU
Telephone	020-8392-5200
Email
Opening Hours	Mon: 9.00-5.00, Tue: 10.00-7.00, Wed: 9.00-5.00, Thu: 9.00-7.00, Fri: 9.00-5.00, Sat: 9.00-5.00
Other Details	No appointment necessary, but readers ticket required. Parking on site (200 places), restaurant on site. Suitable for disabled.
Web	www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/

Sevenoaks Local Studies Library
Address	Buckhurst Lane, Sevenoaks, Kent, TN13 1LQ
Telephone	01732-453118/452384
Opening Hours	Mon-Wed: 9.30-5.30, Thu: 9.30-7.00, Fri: 9.30-5.30, Sat: 9.30-5.00
Other Details	Appointment required for microfilm and fiche readers. Parking, refreshments and toilets nearby. Suitable for disabled (lift access). 24 seats, 1 microfilm readers-printer, 1 microfiche reader, pre-booking advisable.

Society of Genealogists
Address	14 Charterhouse Buildings, Goswell Road, London EC1M 7BA
Telephone	020-7250-0291
Email
Opening Hours	Mon: closed, Tue: 10.00-6.00, Wed: 10.00-6.00, Thu: 10.00-8.00, Fri: 10.00-6.00, Sat: 10.00-6.00
Other Details	Open to non-members for £3.00 per hour, £8.00 for 4 hours, £12.00 for a day.
Web	www.sog.org.uk

Tonbridge Local Studies Library
Address	Avebury Avenue, Tonbridge, Kent TN9 1TG.
Telephone	01732-352754
Opening Hours	Mon: 9.30-5.30, Tue: 9.30-7.00, Wed: 9.30-5.30, Thu: 9.30-7.00, Fri: 9.30-5.30, Sat: 9.30-5.00.
Other Details	Appointment required for microfilm/fiche readers. Parking and refreshments nearby, toilet on site. Suitable for disabled (lift and ramp at rear entrance). 24 seats, 1 microfilm reader, 1 microfiche reader, 1 microfilm/fiche reader-printer.

Tunbridge Wells Reference Library
Address	Mount Pleasant, Tunbridge Wells, TN1 1NS
Telephone	01892-522352
Opening Hours	Mon: 9.30-7.00, Tue-Fri: 9.30-6.00, Sat: 9.30-5.00.
Other Details	Appointment required for microfilm and fiche readers. Parking, refreshments and toilets nearby. NOT suitable for disabled. 24 seats, 1 microfilm/fiche reader, 1 microfiche reader.