Society of Genealogists - Visiting the Society

Visiting the Society

Using the Library

The Library is open to members of the Society. Details of opening hours and information about membership benefits and how to join the Society are available.
The Society is open Tuesday - Saturday for purchases of the Society's publications by members and for membership enquiries. The Library can be used by non-members on payment of a search fee as follows:

1 Hour	£4
4 Hours	£10
Full day (includes the evening on Thursdays)	£18

From 1st August 2005 non-members will be asked to provide identification, evidence of an address and signature as they sign in at reception each time they visit the Society of Genealogists. The following items may be used as identification:

UK residents

Passport
Bank or credit card
UK driving licence
Staff or Student id cards
Bank statement
Utility bill
A County Archive Research Network card (CARN card) will be accepted as identification. These are issued by many local record offices

Overseas non-UK residents

Passport
International driving licence
International Student identity cards
International driving licence

Group Visits to the Society of Genealogists

The Society is always pleased to welcome groups and to provide either a tour or an introductory talk, depending on the size of the group. Groups of up to fifteen people are given a tour of the Library and any larger group is given a talk (usually with Power-Point illustrations). Bookings must be made in advance. There is no charge for a tour or lecture.

Most tours start at around 11.15am and finish about 1pm but other times could be accommodated on request

Members of the Society who would rather show their own groups around themselves are very welcome to do so, providing the group is no larger than about fifteen people and the Society knows you are coming.

Visitors may wish to use the library after the tour. Any formal group of six or more people is offered a discount of 20% on the normal day search fees which from January 1st 2005 will be £4 for 1 hour, £10 for 4 hours and £18 for a full day. If any one wishes to become a member of the Society of Genealogists after paying for a day search they are welcome to put the fee paid towards membership providing it is done on the same day.

These rates are offered on the basis of the organiser providing a list of the non-members attending and paying the fee as a single payment in advance. Any member of the group who is already a member of the Society of Genealogists or who joins on the day of the visit will, of course, not have to pay. There is no formal application form for visits as such - a list of names and addresses is sufficient

All Groups must book in advance with the Genealogy Officer.

Any group thinking of visiting the Society might be interested in the experiences of the Bebington group of the FHS of Cheshire reported in the Cheshire Ancestor, June 2005 is available for download in pdf format with the kind permission of the editor and group leader.

Location

The Society's address is 14 Charterhouse Buildings, Goswell Road, London EC1M 7BA. Being close to the City, the Society's Library is conveniently situated for use in conjunction with many record repositories in London. It is within walking distance of the Family Records Centre, the London Metropolitan Archive, and the Guildhall Library and close to other repositories

Download a free Camden and Islington Family History Map .

Charterhouse Buildings is a cul-de-sac at the junction of Goswell Road and Clerkenwell Road, about 500 metres north of Barbican station and a little further from Farringdon and Old Street stations. The Society occupies the last building in the cul-de-sac.

Check with Google for a map of EC1

Transport Links

As there may be disruptions to Underground & Bus services at short notice please contact the Society before travelling. Up-to-the-minute status reports of the transport network in London can be obtained from Transport for London web site.

Underground	Barbican and Farringdon stations are on the Circle, Metropolitan and Hammersmith & City lines. Farringdon Station, is also on the Thameslink line. Old Street and Angel stations are on the Northern Line (City Branch) St Paul's station is on the Central Line. Please note long-term engineering works have occasionally been affecting services on the Circle Line. On certain Saturdays, Old Street is the nearest Tube Station. Then by bus from Exit 6 (bus 55 or 243 to Clerkenwell Road). Or on foot from Exit 6 or 7 - then on past St Luke's Church to the Goswell Road crossroads. Charterhouse Buildings is in a cul-de-sac at the traffic lights at the junction of Goswell Road and Clerkenwell Road.
Bus	Buses 4, 55, 56, 153, 243 and 505 stop nearby.
Train	From Victoria, Paddington and Liverpool Street - take the Circle Line to Barbican Station. From Waterloo Station - take Bus No 4 direct, or the Northern Line to Embankment or Baker Street, then the Circle Line to Barbican Station. From London Bridge Station - take the Thameslink service to Farringdon or the Northern Line to Moorgate, then the Circle Line to Barbican Station.

Parking at the SoG.

Parking outside the SoG is restricted including Saturday until 1:30pm. There is some limited meter parking in Goswell Road.

Check with Google for details of Parking in EC1

Note: the Caxton House NCP Car Park in Cow Cross Street is also a coach park.

Parking spaces might be obtained, if arriving early or on Saturdays, in nearby Charterhouse Square, Glasshouse Yard or behind the derelict 'Hat and Feathers' Pub in Great Sutton Street.