West Yorkshire History Centre - Wakefield Archive Service Opening Times and Information
Please be aware that we have recently experienced some technical difficulties receiving incoming calls. Our IT department are working on fixing this. If you are able to do so, please contact us by email wakefield@wyjs.org.uk and let us know that you have experienced problems getting through.
Please be aware: our network security makes it impossible for us to receive emails from certain email providers who do not support the TLS data encryption standards that our mail system uses. If you have sent us an email and not received an automatic response or a reply to your enquiry within 10 working days please resend your request through our online contact us form which is here and include a telephone number we can reach you on in case we are unable to email you back
Upcoming Collections Week Closure
The Wakefield office (West Yorkshire History Centre) will be closed the week beginning 27th November. During this time we’ll be working to improve access to the Local Authority collections in our care and will only be able to answer urgent enquiries. Our normal enquiry and appointment service will resume on 4th December.
WYAS, Wakefield Office
West Yorkshire History Centre
127 Kirkgate
Wakefield
WF1 1JG
Email: wakefield@wyjs.org.uk
Tel: +44 (0)113 5350142
Opening hours
West Yorkshire History Centre is open to view original records three days per week and our exhibition space is open for four days a week. It is recommended that you book an appointment and order documents in advance. Please do not travel to our building without having received confirmation of your booking.
Open days:
Mondays 10am - 4pm
Tuesdays 10am - 4pm
Thursdays 10am – 4pm (only the exhibition area is open on Thursdays)
Fridays 10am - 4pm
Please email wakefield@wyjs.org.uk to arrange to book an available appointment time.
Appointments
Please contact us by telephone 0113 5350142 or by email wakefield@wyjs.org.uk to make an appointment.
It may not be possible to retrieve all of the items you request for one appointment. Depending on the nature and size of the collections, the space available in the search room, and staff availability we may need to limit the number of documents you can request. Staff will advise you, at the time of booking, whether any document restrictions apply.
To help ensure that our spaces are safe for both public and staff, and that we are following government guidelines, please read the office guidance before planning your visit.
Facilities
- We have a hot and cold water facility along with coffee and tea options for a small donation. There are cafés and shops within walking distance
- The reception area is open over the lunch time period
- Public lockers are provided and are token operated
- An accessible toilet is available for use and is located in the main exhibition area.
How to find us
Car Parking
There is no car parking at the West Yorkshire History Centre but there is a pay and display car park situated on Brunswick Street which charges £2.50 for the day.
Please note - Wakefield Council have confirmed the free 2 hour parking scheme has been extended into 2022 for publicly run off-road car parks as long as a ticket is taken from the machine and displayed, this does not include the Brunswick Street car park.
Please note that the West Yorkshire History Centre has three blue badge car parking spaces onsite that are available for blue badge holders. The building is fully wheelchair accessible.
Train
We are approximately a 5 minute walk from Wakefield Kirkgate Railway Station and a 20 minute walk from Wakefield Westgate Railway Station. There is a free city bus which travels from Wakefield Westgate Railway Station and stops just outside the West Yorkshire History Centre.
Journey Planning
To plan your journey using public transport, visit Metro Journey Planner. Our postcode is WF1 1JG.
Our Collections
The archival collections held by West Yorkshire Archive Service in Wakefield are an unparalleled record of the history of the West Riding of Yorkshire and its communities from 1194 to the present day. WYAS, Wakefield is the third largest local authority archive in Great Britain comprising over 10 million documents. The shelving for all the collections would reach almost twice the height of Everest!
Many collections have national significance, among them the unique records of the pioneering Stanley Royd Mental Health Hospital, recently awarded international status as part of the UNESCO UK Memory of the World Register.
Other major collections that will be cared for at the centre are the unparalleled West Riding Registry of Deeds made up of 12,763 volumes containing 7 million extracts of property transactions from 1704 to 1970, as well as the massive National Coal Board collection of over 2000 boxes relating to collieries and coal miners in Wakefield and the south Leeds areas.