We’ve created The National Archives Labs because we want to involve you, the customer, in the development of our services. Whether it be an improvement to an existing service or a completely new and innovative way of presenting the rich and vast data we hold, we want you to tell us what you think. Essentially, The National Archives Labs is a test area for you to try out our new ideas without affecting the main website.
Datasets – UPDATED
We have updated our variety of datasets, which are based on records and information held by The National Archives, and encourage web developers to experiment with new applications, online tools and ways of visualising data.
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Domesday on a map
This tool enables you to search and browse over 90% of the places mentioned in Domesday Book.
Visualised: Timelines of Government departments
This visualisation shows the departments responsible for foreign affairs from 1945 to the present. Clicking on the department names will take you to the corresponding department in Discovery.
Datasets for ‘Hack on the Record’
Over the weekend of 24 and 25 March, The National Archives is holding its first hack day.
Linked data PRONOM
PRONOM is The National Archives’ technical registry – we plan to release the data it holds, in a linked open data format, and make it easier to reuse.
16/06/11 UPDATE – Improving search
We have further developed our new taxonomy allowing users to filter search results using subject categories.
Collections on a map
This tool is the first stage in our plan to provide map-based access to our records. It allows you to search for places and to identify records relating to them.
The National Archives’ API
Developers can explore our Discovery service using our new API (application programming interface). Read more
Cabinet papers keywords
Cabinet papers datasets are available to download for web developers. Read more
Valuation Office map finder
Use this tool to identify and order Valuation Office Survey maps of England and Wales from 1910 to 1915. Our Catalogue contains descriptions of nearly 50,000 Valuation Office Survey maps and this innovative tool provides a simple way to identify and order a map without having to visit The National Archives. The process previously required a complex, multi-stage onsite search.

