|
 The
Friends of Historic Essex supports the work of the Essex Record Office
(ERO), which was set up by the County Council in 1938.
Essex was one of the first English counties to have its own Record Office,
which was housed for many years in different parts of County Hall, before
moving in 2000 to its present state-of-the-art building in Wharf Road,
Chelmsford.
The ERO collects and preserves the written, oral and visual heritage of
the county, and ensures that it remains available to both present and
future generations. You can make use of the vast library of printed books
and journals about Essex, as well as the original documents which form
the 'raw materials' of local history. If you are interested in researching
the history of your house, your family, or your local community and its
landscape, then you will find something which will amaze and delight you.
It is not necessary to make an appointment to visit the Search Room at
Chelmsford, although if you are making a long journey it would be sensible
to make sure that the documents you want to see are available. You can
do this by checking the on-line catalogue which is called SEAX and accessible
from the Essex County Council website. It is possible to order documents
in advance on line, although they will not be produced until you are actually
in the building. For more than twenty years there has been a branch office
at Colchester, but sadly this was closed at the end of March 2007 as part
of County Council cuts in heritage expenditure. The original documents
relating to the Colchester and Tendring areas are in the course of being
transferred to Chelmsford, while some microfilms and fiches will be available
in the Colchester library's local studies department.
Visitors to the Record Office at Chelmsford can use its library just
by signing in with your details, but if you want to see original documents
you must have a readers' ticket. These can be provided on the day of your
visit as long as you can bring with you proof of your identity with a
document containing your name, address and signature. For further information
on how to find the Record Office please click on the link.
|
|
Getting there
The Essex Record Office headquarters in Chelmsford
is on the riverside at Wharf Road. It is a 5 minute walk away from
the High Street, along the riverside path from the Meadows shopping
precinct. If you are travelling by car there are public car parks
in Wharf Road. It is a 15 minutes walk from the rail and bus stations.
Bus numbers 47, 54 and 56 stop about 5 minutes walk from the record
office. For further information on how to find and contact us, please
click on the link below.
|
Internet Link
www.essexcc.gov.uk/ero
|
|
