Cumbria Archives

Who we are

Cumbria Archive Service has centres in Barrow, Carlisle, Kendal and Whitehaven which look after the documentary heritage of Cumbria from the middle ages to the present day. They hold an extensive range of archive material including; old maps; trade directories; parish records; school, business, industry and farming records; poor law, workhouse and public health census records; photographs; illustrations and newspapers. The Archive Service provides workshops for schools at the archives centres and in school, resource packs, exhibitions and online resources. Its archive education service covers a range of popular school history topics, and is an excellent resource for a study of your local town or village. Activities and resources are targeted at developing children’s historical enquiry skills, helping them to use a range of original sources and evaluate evidence. Using the archives can help students connect with a history topic by providing examples of real people and places. Archive sources can also be used to compliment teaching in other areas of the curriculum, including English, Citizenship and Geography. As well as providing materials relating to history topics and local areas, the Archive Service encourages schools to visit the centres so they can see how an archive works and why they are important today. Children have the opportunity to visit the specialist stores and see how important documents are cared for. The archive staff can advise teachers on sources and topics and provide photocopies of original documents. Resources and activities for schools cover a range of levels including: Key Stages 1-3, GCSE and A-Level.