About the Archives

The Doncaster Archives Department was established in 1973 to preserve local historical records and to implement the permanent preservation of original documents relating to the Doncaster metropolitan district.and to make them available to the public. A growing collection meant that larger premises were needed and in the early 80s the archives moved into the old Balby Junior school at the foot of King Edward Road in Balby. Today the archives have more than a mile of shelving available for the storage of archives. During almost forty years of existence, the department has gathered archives of all kinds and relating to all sorts of documented human activity in the Doncaster area over eight centuries from the later 12th century to the present day.

As well as holding records for the now abolished urban and rural district councils the archives also hold records relating to more than 150 schools and colleges, courts, local hospitals and the inspectors of mines. The archives are also an official deposit for manorial and tithe records. Other records include those of families and landed estates, businesses, social and charitable groups, trade unions and political archives as well as the records for the Great Northern Railway and its successors.

Doncaster is also the designated diocesan record office for the Archdeaconry of Doncaster (which extends to the East Riding and North Yorkshire at one end, and into Barnsley and Rotherham at the other), with the records of over 80 parishes. There are also records for the numerous nonconformist churches in the area.

Doncaster Archives is located at:

Chequer Rd

Doncaster

DN1 2AE

The reading room is open Monday to Friday from 9am until 12.45am and 2pm until 4.45pm. You can contact the library to reserve a seat before your visit on their website here. You can also access the catalogue here.