Both searchrooms can get very busy, and people who have not reserved seats may be turned away. If you telephone or email us in advance of your visit we can reserve you a seat. It also helps us to know beforehand if you are likely to want assistance with discovering sources relevant to your enquiry.

An appointment is essential to visit the Cambridge searchroom on Tuesday evenings, and any original records you require must be ordered before 2 pm that afternoon. Appointments are necessary, too, to consult records held on microfilm, especially the GRO indexes held at Cambridge. You are also asked to book in advance if you wish to use a public access computer, or the map tables.

The searchroom at Huntingdon can accommodate only sixteen searchers at the most. Visitors who have not reserved a seat beforehand may be turned away. Visitors who wish to use the map table must let us know in advance, to avoid disappointment.