Three archives gain accredited status for the first time

6 Aug 2026 12:21 PM

The Archive Service Accreditation Committee has awarded the coveted accredited status to Herefordshire Archive Service, London Metropolitan University Special Collections, and The National Waterways Archive, for the first time.

Herefordshire Archive Service is home to the collections of the historic county and includes a series of consistory court Act Books, as well as records on munitions factory personnel who served during the First and Second World Wars.

London Metropolitan University Special Collections documents the history of the institution, trade unionism and labour, the Irish in Britain, and furniture design.

The National Waterways Archive in Ellesmere Port documents 250 years of canals and inland waterways, and houses records of canal pioneers Thomas Telford, William Jessop, and James Brindley.

By attaining accreditation, these services have demonstrated that they meet the UK standard for managing archive collections, as well as providing access to the public.

All accredited archive services must reapply every six years to retain their accredited status. The following archive services were awarded accreditation for the second time:

At the same panel, Exeter Cathedral Library and Archives became the first service to be awarded accreditation for the third time.

The National Archives administers the programme on behalf of the Archive Service Accreditation Committee, which represents a UK partnership between The National Archives, The Archives and Records Association (ARA), Archives and Records Council Wales, National Records of Scotland, Public Record Office of Northern Ireland, Scottish Council on Archives, and the Culture Division of the Welsh Government.