The Keep
The Keep,
Woollards Way,
Brighton,
BN1 9BP
United Kingdom
Opening hours
Tuesday to Friday 9.30am – 5pm Saturday 9.30am – 4pm
(Reading Room closed 1-2pm) Closed Mondays
Contact: 01273 482349
thekeep@eastsussex.gov.uk
Have you joined The Keep yet?
The Keep will give easy access to millions of records dating back to 1100 right up to the present day. It is a world-class centre for archives that opens up access to all the collections of the East Sussex Record Office (ESRO), the Royal Pavilion & Museums Local History Collections and the internationally significant University of Sussex Special Collections. It is also a centre of excellence for conservation and preservation.
The combined collections have been brought together to provide, under one roof, an unrivalled, detailed record of the region’s history, dating back over 900 years. These archives document the lives of individuals, places and events from across the county and beyond, and they include written records, maps and plans, prints and drawings, photographs and films, oral histories, and digital and electronic records.
The Keep has been designed for different people to use in different ways. It gives access to historical material for scholars and specialist researchers, universities, colleges and schools, the adult and community sectors and businesses such as solicitors, architects and developers. The Keep staff is also working with under-represented groups and people with disabilities, including people with impaired hearing and vision.
There is free public access to all the collections, with a drop-in service, and efficient systems for ordering, even when not in the building. The new electronic archive catalogue, with a full on-line search facility, gives remote access to the wealth of material in the collections.
This page was last updated by Ted on 17-Apr-2026