Contact details
Lancashire Record Office
Bow Lane,
Preston, Lancashire, PR1 2RE, UK
Tel: +44(0) 1772 533039
Fax: +44(0) 1772 533050
Email Lancashire Record Office
Travel information
Getting to the Record Office:
- by train - Preston station, on the West Coast main line, is 5 minutes' walk from the Office
- by car - There is a visitors' car park attached to the Office. If this is full, Preston City Centre has many public car parks
- by bus - Local and long-distance buses stop by the railway station or at the Bus Station, some 15 minutes' walk from the Office
Useful links
Planning a Visit
The following information will help you plan your visit in order to make the best use of your time.
Admission
Admission is free, and anyone is welcome to use the Office. We do not operate a booking system but a reader's ticket is required for access to original documents.
Opening hours
| Monday | 9am - 5pm |
|---|---|
| Tuesday | 9am - 8.30pm |
| Wednesday | 9am - 5pm |
| Thursday | 10am - 5 pm |
| Friday | 9am - 5pm |
| Saturday |
We are open on the second Saturday of each month from 10 am – 4 pm |
Holidays
We are closed on all English Bank Holidays:
- New Year (usually 1 January)
- Good Friday (date varies)
- Easter Monday (date varies)
- First Monday in May
- Last Monday in May
- Last Monday in August
- 2 days at Christmas, usually but not always Christmas Day and Boxing Day
Disabled Access
All public rooms, including the search room, are situated on the first floor and there is lift access for those who find stairs difficult to use. Disabled parking is available onsite, and we also have disabled toilets.
On Arrival
Please check in at reception and sign the visitors' book in recognition of the rules of the office. You will be asked to use the lockers provided for all your bags and belongings, except the paper and pencils you require for working. These accept a £1 coin, which is refunded on emptying your locker.
Reader's Ticket
We are part of the County Archive Research Network (CARN) and ask you to produce a reader's ticket when you enter and leave the Office. This is a security measure to help protect irreplaceable documents. If you do not have a ticket issued by one of the participating offices in the Network, we can issue you one free of charge when you visit the Record Office. You will need to produce official evidence of your address and signature (e.g. driver's licence, or credit/debit card accompanied by a bank statement, utility bill or other official communication with your address printed). The ticket is valid for four years in about forty record offices around the country.
Searchroom Facilities
We have 36 seats available, plus larger tables for map production. We also have 40 microfilm/fiche readers, and 3 public access PCs, 2 of which are linked in to the People's Network and are thus available for internet use. You may bring a laptop, but its use is at your own risk. Self-scanning of documents is not permitted.
Refreshment Facilities
Our public tearoom offers a drinks machine and space to eat a packed lunch. Several pubs, shops, and the range of eating options in Preston City Centre are 5-10 minutes' walk away.