Surrey History Centre

Surrey History Centre is so much more than a county record office and local studies centre. With six miles of shelving and thousands of documents, we can help you trace your Surrey ancestors and guide you through our amazing collections of records. From medieval manuscripts to modern newspapers, from watercolours to digital photographs, our holdings document the story of the county and its people from the 12th to the 21st centuries. Our collection contains treasures such as papers of author Lewis Carroll and garden designer Gertrude Jekyll, Tudor letters of the More-Molyneux family of Loseley, records of the Surrey infantry regiments, archives of the piano makers, Broadwood and specialist vehicle manufacturers, Dennis…and more. As well as the archive, Surrey County Archaeological Unit are based onsite and offer opportunities to get involved with community digs. Visiting the centre to use the collections is free, staff are always happy to offer advice, and with events and exhibitions held throughout the year not just at Surrey History Centre but across the County, there are plenty of ways to discover Surrey’s extraordinary past.

Opening Times

Restrictions apply. Please see our website for details.

Location details

Surrey History Centre,
130 Goldsworth Road,
Woking,
Surrey,
GU21 6ND

01483 518737

Facilities

toilets

accessible toilets

accessible site

accessible parking

audio assistance

visual assistance

family activities

train nearby

bus nearby

free entry

gift shop

space for hire

guided tour

Go to museum site

Children & Families

Families can discover Surrey’s fascinating past through free family drop in activities which take place in school holidays. Each time, there is a new theme to explore with a display relating to the archive as well as plenty of fun arts and crafts activities.

Schools & Teachers

With dedicated Learning and Community Officers Surrey History Centre can provide class sessions, source packs, archaeological loan boxes and visits.

1) General topic source packs – including transport, WW1, WW2 and Tudors in Surrey 2) Surrey local history source packs tailored to your school or community group’s needs. Research into the archive will provide a range of local history resources on your area including: old maps, census and old photographs 3) Free online resources on Surrey in the Great War (Key Stages 2 and 4), Surrey’s Suffrage (Key Stages 3 and 4), Historic Food (Key Stages 1 – 4) and RC Sherriff (Key Stage 4 English and History). 4) Continuing Professional Development (CPD) sessions and teacher training sessions for archaeology and more!

Students & Young People

Each year Surrey History Centre take a limited number of work experience placements. These placements work across the whole of Surrey Heritage including the archives and archaeology departments. Surrey County Archaeological Unit provides a number of sessions for home educated students and A Level / Undergraduate students can make appointments for advice on the sources which might be available at the Centre to aid with their studies.

Adult & Community

Interested in local or family history, but don’t know how to start? Surrey History Centre offers a range of ways to discover Surrey’s heritage. Get started by visiting Exploring Surrey’s Past our dedicated website providing a wealth of information about Surrey’s history.

We also offer guided visits to the searchroom, tours behind the scenes, as well as introductory talks. We can host scouts and guides sessions, local history societies and U3A, as well as a flexible programme for specific needs such as reminiscence and dementia.
See our website