Researchers can visit our Archive and Library by appointment, to look at documents and books from our collection.

We suggest that you look at the research guides before considering visiting the Archives, especially if you are looking at family history. As the research guides
make clear, we do not hold many records on individuals, so there are often better archives, museums or online sites to try first. 

We have two sites, one within Larkhill Garrison in Wiltshire, and one close by on the outskirts of Amesbury. They are in separate locations from our museum object stores. We can typically make appointments between 9:30 am and 5:00 pm on weekdays, but we have limited staff, so please book at least a week in advance, and wait to hear back from us as to whether or not we have space on the day you wish to visit.

We charge £15 per person for a half-day visit (up to 3.5 hours) and £25 for a full-day visit. There are also fees for using a camera. 

When you book, please let us know if you are a serving Gunner, or a member of the Royal Artillery Historical Society, Royal Artillery Association, or Friends of the Royal Artillery Museum, as you may qualify for discounted rates.

As our archive and library collections are stored across two sites, we need to know in advance which documents or books you would like to look at, so that we can make sure that they are available at the right site. Unfortunately, we can't get out additional records on the day.

We have the following collections in our archive:

  • WW1 War Diaries for artillery units
  • WW2 War Diaries for artillery units
  • The ‘MD’ collection (personal papers of former Gunners)
  • The ‘AL’ collection (photos and photograph albums)
  • The ‘MR’ collection (‘military reports’ – in quite a loose sense)
  • The ‘RA’ Collection (papers of organisations related to the Royal Artillery)
  • The ‘UR’ Collection (unit records, sometimes put together by the units themselves)
  • Gun Handbooks and Training Pamphlets

If you are interested in any of these, let us know and we will email you the catalogue listings for the collections you are interested in, so that you can precisely identify which documents you would like to look at.

We also have the following:

  • Battery Digests of Service (peace-time records of individual Batteries, c.1890-1939)
  • Officers’ Photographs collection (portraits of RA officers – not a complete set)
  • Establishment Lists (official lists stating what personnel, equipment & vehicles each type of artillery unit ought to have; pre-WWI to c.1970s)

We do not yet have complete catalogues for these collections but if you email us a battery number, or the name of an officer, or the type of establishment list, we can make a brief check and let you know if we have the relevant documents.

Our Library collection includes these books and series of volumes:

  • Gunner Magazine (issues from 1919 to present)
  • Royal Artillery Journal (issues from c.1860 to present)

To arrange an appointment, please contact us at enquiries@RoyalArtilleryMuseum.com or on 01980 634208. Email is preferable, as the Archivist is often working away from the telephone, but you are welcome to leave a message. Please include details of the records you would like to consult, or the subject you are researching, so we can check whether we hold the relevant material.

Please note:

  • Larkhill Camp is an active military site. Visitors will need to bring photographic ID (passport or driving licence).
  • Amesbury does not have the same security requirements, but its study area is only accessible via a flight of stairs. Larkhill has step-free access.

If photographic ID or stairs are likely to be an issue, please let us know when booking so we can make suitable arrangements.