Archives and records

Plymouth and West Devon Record Office

The archives for the City of Plymouth and West Devon

The Plymouth and West Devon Record Office is the principal archive repository within Plymouth and the West Devon area; it exists to collect and preserve the historical records of the area and to promote and encourage their use by all who wish to study them.

The office is open Tuesday to Friday to view records and staff are happy to answer queries by telephone and email.

The Record Office holds records of the old borough and modern city of Plymouth, as well as the West Devon area. From 1 April 1998, it has been run as an independent archive service by Plymouth City Council, and forms one of the services provided by the Community Services Department.

The Record Office holds original records (archives) of many organisations and individuals. Dating from circa 1190, they include deeds, charters, minute books, letters, registers, manorial documents, reports, diaries, financial records, maps, plans, photographs, card indexes, microfilms and microfiche.

You can now search for information using our online catalogues.

Visit our news and what's on page to see what is happening in Plymouth and see the Archive Awareness website for events nationwide.

We are always interested to hear of any potential gifts or deposits of archival material. Please contact the office if you are aware of any such items or you wish to discuss the preservation of your records.