Archive collections

Our collections are an amazingly rich source of research information on the history of the County of Kent, its people and places. They can be used for a wide variety of areas of research - including family, local and house history. They are also useful resources for all levels of education. Some of the collections are important and unique sources for national and international history.

Illustration - Charter, with seal, issued by the abbot and convent of Faversham Abbey, with a licence to grant to Canterbury Cathedral Priory land in Faversham (Displayed courtesy of the Dean & Chapter of Canterbury Cathedral).

Detailed information about the types of collections we hold, and what can be found in each centre, is given in our Collecting Policy. Information about individual records can be found in our online catalogue (link opens in a new window). We are beginning to convert some of the items in our collections into digital format and some items are now available on the Here's History (this link opens in a new window) website which contains a wealth of historical information on parishes across the County.

For details of items held in Kent libraries local history collections please consult the online library catalogue.

The service also looks after parish records for both diocese in Kent (excluding the Medway area). Our 'Guide to parish records' lists the records we have and where they can be found.

If you have material you would like to give to us or deposit with us, we would be very pleased to hear from you. Contact one of our archive centres but please note we cannot accept everything that is offered to us. We prefer to have material given to us but if you do want to deposit materials instead, consult our loan agreement for the deposit of records. All gifts and deposits are by prior arrangement

Please note: Records less than 100 years old may contain information of a personal or sensitive nature, and cannot always be made available in the public searchroom. To avoid disappointment, please contact the relevant archives office in advance of your visit to check that we have space for you and that the required records are available.