How do I search the catalogue?

For quick results, simply type your search term into the 'Find a record' box on the home page. This will search across all our records in all our repositories.

If you wish to limit your search in some way, for example by searching only those records held within a specific repository, then please use Advanced Search instead.

I have found an entry on the online catalogue and now I want to visit the archives to see the original. What do I do?

You will need to contact the relevant archive repository, which will usually be either Cambridgeshire Archives or Huntingdonshire Archives, to make an appointment for a visit. For more information about our opening hours, access arrangements, readers' tickets, and for details of our services and facilities, please go to the Archives web site [Archives and Local Studies].


I have found a record which I would like to see, but I cannot visit. May I order a copy?

Provided that the material is suitable for copying, you can order copies through our reprographics service. Find out more at [Archives and Local Studies]


Why can't I find what I'm looking for?

If you want to search for an exact phrase (so the words appear adjacent to each other in the text), e.g. Oliver Cromwell, enter the text with double quotation marks, thus "Oliver Cromwell".

Searching the database will only find the exact words used in the catalogue, so if you haven't found what you wanted it's often worth trying other related terms.

People's names and place names may also vary in spelling and so you may need to try searching for alternative spellings in order to find all relevant records. When making a personal name search, it might be best to search only on the surname.

You can also search for part of a word followed, or preceded, by a 'wildcard' asterisk to broaden your search: e.g. Indi* will retrieve records which include the words India, Indian, Indies.

Although new catalogues are added on a regular basis to this archive catalogue, information about some of our collections is not yet available online. Staff at the Archives will be able to tell you more about these collections.


How do I sort the records in the 'search results' hitlist?

You can sort the list of results according to the field of your choice by clicking on the column heading.