Durham County Record Office: the official archive service for County Durham and Darlington
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Family History
- Birth, marriage and death records
- Census records
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- Place names index
- Nonconformist Church Registers
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More Family History Sources
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- Hearth Tax Returns
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Exhibitions
- Celebrating Gala Day 2020
-
County Durham remembers VE Day 1945
- 'We have come through' - Remembering VE Day 1945
- 9th Battalion DLI: From D-Day to Berlin
- 9th Battalion DLI: VE Day
- 9th Battalion DLI: In Berlin, June - September 1945
- Berlin Victory Parade, 7 September 1945
- Victory Parade at Belsen, 8 May 1945
- The Northern Echo, Victory edition, 9 May 1945
- VE Day and Durham Schools
- 2nd Battalion DLI: Burma 1945
- 2nd Battalion DLI: Rangoon Victory Parade, 15 June 1945
- VE Day and the Durham Miners' Association
- County Durham celebrates VE Day
- Haswell Victory Celebrations, 1945
- Soldier: Victory Souvenir edition, 8 May 1945
- Parade: European Victory edition, 26 May 1945
- VE Day not forgotten by one Spennymoor family
- County Durham celebrates VJ Day
- Victory Day, 8 June 1946
Make an appointment
Find out how to make an appointment to visit the archives.
Please make an appointment to consult documents or microfilms in Durham County Record Office. We use a booking system as the number of spaces in the search room is limited. An appointment ensures that a microfilm reader or table space will be available for you when you arrive.
When and what to book
The search room is open Monday to Wednesday and is often busy.
If you are travelling from a distance we recommend that you make an appointment up to two weeks in advance.
The search room is closed from Thursday to Sunday and on all UK bank holidays.
You'll need to book a microfilm reader to look at:
- Church of England parish registers
- Non-conformist church registers
- Cemetery and crematoria records
- Census returns, 1841-1901
- Electoral registers
- Newspapers
- DLI war diaries and enlistment/discharge records
- Quarter Sessions order books
- Land tax returns
- Hearth tax returns
To consult all other material in the Record Office, you should book a table space.
If you're not sure what to book, contact us for advice.
Late night opening on Wednesday evenings
If you are visiting the Record Office on a Wednesday evening (4.45-8pm) please make a separate booking for either a table space or a microfilm reader.
You'll need to order documents for use on a Wednesday evening before 2pm on the day of your visit. Please contact us in advance to provide the document references of the items you wish to see. This gives us time to get your documents from the strongrooms while the search room is fully staffed. Orders for Wednesday evenings are now restricted to a maximum of 10 items per person.
How do I make an appointment?
Please contact us.
You can also phone or write to us to make a booking. You'll find all the information you need on our contact us page.
Help with planning your visit
Many people making an appointment ask us about using digital cameras and the general facilities available for visitors. See what to bring with you, where to find us and when you arrive for more advice.