Tyne & Wear Archives

The Archives hold documents relating to Gateshead, Newcastle upon Tyne, north Tyneside, South Tyneside and Sunderland. The Archives preserve documents relating to the area from the 12th to the 21st century, and the service is free for everyone to use.

We have archives of all types from a huge range of sources which occupy about 14km of shelving at our base in Discovery Museum, Newcastle upon Tyne.

The Archives include:
Local authority records such as minutes, building plans and school records.
Hospital records.
Magistrates and other court records.
Business records, especially those of important local indutries such as shipbuiling, engineering and mining.
Church records including registers of baptisms, marriages and burials.
Records of local organisations of all sizes.
Private papers of individuals and families from all walks of life.

The Archives' shipbuilding, marine and maritime trade collections are Designated Collections of national importance.

Tyne & Wear Archives Service merged with Tyne & Wear Museums to create a joint service called Tyne & Wear Archives & Museums from April 2009.