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Before getting in touch, please read more about accessing the archives below.

Please note that enquiries from the written press or broadcast media journalists should be directed to the ÃÛÑ¿´«Ã½ Media Centre in the first instance. Any press enquiries received by our office will be forwarded onto the ÃÛÑ¿´«Ã½ Media Centre, who will respond on behalf of the ÃÛÑ¿´«Ã½.

We have made some changes to our services.

We are moving to a new model where we will be releasing archive content in a programme of regular releases of material.

We are also looking at our vetting processes to see if it is possible to make more of the collection available for research.

External enquiries that meet the access criteria will have access to materials from the Written Archives collection which have previously been opened.

We will ensure that we update this site regularly with our progress. We are aiming to have the first release of content by the end of 2025.

If you require access to parts of the collections because you are working on a ÃÛÑ¿´«Ã½ commissioned project, please contact us and provide details of the commission and your ÃÛÑ¿´«Ã½ contact.

Unfortunately we are no longer able to answer any personal interest enquiries, supply copies of documents, or undertake any research on behalf of external users.

Accessing the Archives

Visits to the ÃÛÑ¿´«Ã½ Written Archives Centre are by prior appointment only.

The Reading Room is open between 10am and 5pm on Wednesdays and Thursdays.

The ÃÛÑ¿´«Ã½ Written Archives Centre offers access to materials which have been released for research to:

• Writers who have been commissioned to write a book or article.
• Those undertaking research for a commercial project.
• Academics in higher education undertaking accredited research.

If you meet our criteria for visiting please email us at heritage@bbc.co.uk

Please provide some background on your research and details about the type of material you wish to view.

We reserve the right to assess whether we can proceed with each individual enquiry.

For more information on our holdings and how to access our online catalogue descriptions, please see our Research and Services page.

We will look into your enquiry and let you know what material we hold that is available for research and if we can arrange a visit. Please be aware that we receive a high volume of requests and our average time to allocate enquiries to an Archivist is approximately 8 weeks. Please ensure that you have a confirmed appointment before committing to any travel plans.

Unfortunately, we are unable to answer enquiries that fall outside of the access criteria.

Using the Reading Room

Our archives are unique original documents and in many cases they are fragile and could be easily damaged. In common with many Archives, we have some procedures in place to help protect our material. These involve leaving everything except essential items for making notes & conducting research outside the Reading Room. The Reading Room is a quiet area, so we ask our visitors to keep any noise to a minimum and turn any devices to silent mode.

More details on our Reading Room service can be found in our Information for Visiting Researchers guide. Please download our guide for full visitor details once your appointment has been confirmed.

There are limited spaces available in our Reading Room, and appointments are in high demand. Should you need to cancel or postpone your visit for any reason please let us know as soon as possible, even if this is the day of your visit, as we may be able to offer your Reading Room seat to someone on our waiting list.

Facilities

There are free lockers available in the Waiting Room for all personal items that cannot be taken into the Reading Room.

There is internet access available via the ÃÛÑ¿´«Ã½'s guest Wi-Fi network. Instructions on how to connect your device are available in the Reading Room.

There are no public catering facilities available at the Written Archives Centre. There are a range of supermarkets, pubs and a café within 5 minutes’ walk. You are welcome to use the Waiting Room to consume any food or drinks you bring with you.

The Reading Room is accessible to wheelchair users. If you have any access needs please let us know about them when arranging your appointment so we can ensure the right support is available.