Getting started with Local History

We have a wide variety of resources available to support your local history research, whether you’re just beginning and are looking for a place to start or have been researching for a while and are looking for something specific.

A group of men from Layerthrope Cycling Club pose for a team photograph. There are bicycles at either side of the photo and a tandem bike on the ground in front of them men.


Our Local History Room at York Explore contains thousands of books, trade directories and maps on all aspects of York’s history. The best place to start is by searching our archive catalogue for original archives or our library catalogue for local history publications. We are regularly adding to both our book stock and our online collections, so do keep checking back to see what’s new. If you want to visit our Local History Room to conduct your own research, you can find out more about how to plan your visit on our Visiting Us page.

If you get stuck or reach a dead-end, we will always do our best to answer your enquiries – just contact us for advice or speak to a member of staff. We do also occasionally run events, presentations and workshops covering the topic of Local History. Please ask for further information on what is coming up.