We will be reducing our opening hours at Carlisle Record Office by closing on Fridays with effect from 20 November 2009.     This is to enable staff and volunteers to focus on the essential work behind the scenes preparing for the removal of millions of unique historic documents from four separate buildings in Carlisle into their new home at Petteril Bank in south Carlisle. The Carlisle Record Office will start to move to these new purpose-built premises in April 2010. 

Archive services available to you from Nov 2009:

• We will still be open in The Castle, Carlisle on Mondays to Thursdays, 9am-5pm and will be pleased to help with your enquiries then 
• We have a Research Service, and our experts will carry out your research for a reasonable fee (01228 227285) 
• The archive offices in Barrow, Kendal and Whitehaven will be open as usual
• As alternatives to Carlisle Record Office on Fridays,  
• - Some Cumberland parish registers are available on microfilm at the Local Studies Library in The Lanes in Carlisle (01228 227315) 
• - Microfilms of all Cumberland parish registers, and some wills are available in the Cumbria Record Office and Local Studies Library in Whitehaven (01946 506420)
• - Microfilms of all Cumberland bishops transcripts and some wills are available at the Cumbria Record Office in Kendal (01539 713540) 

We understand that this will inconvenience some people, and we apologise for that.   We have selected Friday as the day that will affect fewest people, according to our current patterns of use. 

If the closure in Carlisle on Fridays causes you a problem - especially if you have an urgent need to consult records for official reasons (eg magistrates court records) - please discuss this with us (01228 227285).   We will do our best to find a way of helping you.

We look forward to welcoming you to our new premises at Petteril Bank in Carlisle in late 2010.