Historic England Archive - Access Policy
Introduction
The Historic England Archive’s Access Policy reflects the commitment in our mission statement
We enable people to understand, enjoy and engage with the heritage of the built environment of England through collecting, preserving and making available, records of its places and people.
It also enables Historic England to meet Corporate Plan (2023-26) priority 5b.
More people are using and engaging with our Archive services and collections
Scope
This policy applies to the holdings of the Historic England Archive (HEA). It does not relate to records held elsewhere in Historic England. It relates to access onsite, offsite and online.
Principles
We aim to:
- provide excellent services and facilities to enable anyone with an interest in our collections to access them
- provide physical access that is in keeping with the long-term preservation of the collections in our care
- increase digital access to our collections by developing online resources
- provide learning resources based on HEA’s holdings
- seek the views of users and potential users to help us to evaluate and improve the services we offer
Online access
The HEA provides a range of free online resources on its website. These are updated on a regular basis.
- Find Photos – a catalogue to our terrestrial collections including photographs, drawings, reports and plans
- Aerial Photograph Explorer – a map-based search facility, giving access to thousands of digitised photos from our aerial photo collections
Online guidance on how to use the resources is also available.
Creation of catalogues and finding aids
Cataloguing is a major priority to enhance access. Backlogs are dealt with as part of a structured cataloguing programme.
Users wishing to research unlisted collections will be made aware of any handlists/draft lists that exist.
Enquiry service
The HEA provides a free basic enquiry service and charged-for priority and research services. Full details of the services offered are available on our website.
Due to limits on resources we may be unable to undertake complex and/or voluminous requests, but we will suggest alternatives where possible.
Visits to the Public Search Room and Library
The Public Search Room and Library are usually open to the public Tuesday - Thursday, 9.30am - 12.30pm and 1.30pm - 4.30pm. HEA staff are always available at our enquiry desk to supervise use of original material and provide advice. Access is provided free of charge and in compliance with the Equality Act. There is a range of equipment to help access.
All key information about visiting and the facilities provided can be found on our website.
Visitors must book in advance and are issued with a security pass and by making a booking they accept our terms of use.
We restrict what can be brought into the Public Search Room & Library to protect the archive material from damage and to keep it secure.
We admit under 16s who are accompanied by an adult and supervised by them at all times.
Restrictions on access
We are committed to providing the widest possible access to the collections we hold, but we may restrict access to vulnerable or damaged items to prevent further deterioration.
Access is provided in line with relevant legislation, e.g. the Data Protection Act (2018).
Occasionally restrictions may also be applied due to the sensitive content of a collection.
When we need to restrict access, we will tell our users and offer alternatives if possible.
Where a digital copy exists, it will usually be provided for use in preference to the original.
Charging
The HEA is committed to providing a core level of free access to its collections to anyone with an interest in the historic environment.
There is no charge to visit or view items in the collection and we provide free search services.
In accordance with HM Treasury guidelines, we charge for copies and for some search services. Our price list is available in our Public Search Room and on our website.
Our charges for copying reflect the cost to us of producing copies.
Copying is subject to the condition of the item, copyright and any restrictions on access.
Reproduction permission
We permit the re-use of items in our collection in line with the Re-use of Public Sector Information Regulations 2015.
An application form is available to request permission to reproduce items in our collections. Where we can issue permission, we do this via an electronic letter that specifies the permitted use and terms and conditions.
We may charge a reproduction fee which is calculated based on the use requested. We will always advise of any fee and request confirmation before issuing permission.
Where we cannot issue permission due to third-party copyright, or where additional permission from a third party is required, we will direct users to the appropriate rights holder(s) where possible.
Outreach
We have a programme of Talks and Tours of the Archive in Swindon for people interested in finding out more about what we hold and how we care for our collections. There is a small charge but we offer at least one free talk and tour per year. Details of talks and tours are available on our website.
We work with national and local heritage and cultural organisations to plan and deliver outreach events including initiatives such as Explore Your Archives and Heritage Open Days.
Education
We offer a wide range of learning resources on our website which makes extensive use of the HEA’s images. Images are freely available for classroom use.
Our Heritage Schools programme aims to help school children develop an understanding of their local heritage and its significance. Packs of aerial photographs are available to buy for classroom use - a map of the areas covered can be found on our website.
Consulting our users
We carry out targeted user consultations in order to inform the development of online resources. We carry out some consultations ourselves and engage others to conduct specialist user research for us.
We send a link to a short anonymous survey with all our emails to users of our enquiry service and encourage feedback. We have anonymous paper feedback forms for visitors.
We take part in national benchmarking surveys run by organisations such as the Archives and Records Association.
We aim to investigate complaints thoroughly and promptly.
Policy review
This policy will be reviewed by the Archive Management team every 2 years. The next date for review is June 2026.
