The National Army Museum is closed now that London has entered the highest tier of local restrictions. It’s with regret that we are temporarily closing our doors once more, but we look forward to welcoming you back as soon as the situation allows.
Check our FAQsThe Templer Study Centre is the National Army Museum's on-site study and research facility. It is an excellent resource for exploring the history of our Army and learning more about its impact on the wider world.
Our archive contains a wealth of material for researching military, political and social history, as well as a range of other subjects, including fashion, science and technology.
Our library contains over 55,000 books and periodicals, and represents a particularly strong collection of regimental and campaign histories. We also have over 3,670 maps and charts and 10,000 separate photographic collections available to view.
Mon: Closed
Tue: Closed
Wed: Closed
Thu: Closed
Fri: Closed
Sat: Closed
Sun: Closed
Location:
Lower Ground Floor Lower Level
Wheelchair access:
Via the lift on the Lower Ground Floor Upper Level
The Templer Study Centre is closed on Mondays, Tuesdays, Saturdays and Sundays, and also on the following dates:
Access to the Templer Study Centre will be by appointment only, and strictly controlled to limit numbers at any given time. Appointments will only be accepted with a minimum of 10 working days' notice, for a maximum of 10 items.
Readers may request a day and time to visit during the opening hours listed above, but confirmation will depend on staff availability. Please do not assume your booking is confirmed and do not arrive at the Templer Study Centre unless you have received a confirmation email in reply.
Appointment requests and pre-orders must be submitted by email (info@nam.ac.uk) and must include:
Additional items cannot be ordered on the day.
Please note that the Templer Study Centre provides access to the National Army Museum's collections of photographs, archives, books and periodicals, all of which can be searched on our Online Inventory. To search for archives, photographs, maps and charts held by the National Army Museum, please use the Search Objects section. To search specifically for books and periodicals, please use the Search Books section.
All other collections are kept at our Collections Storage Facility. Find out more about how to access these collections.
We encourage readers to limit the duration of their visit to as short as possible so that we can provide access to as many readers as possible. Please make us aware if you know you will only need a short visit, so we can accommodate others where possible.
The Templer Study Centre is pleased to be able to register new readers and renew existing reader tickets that have expired during the first phase of reopening.
For new reader tickets to be issued, we require readers to:
Readers must send both their completed reader application form and scanned documents at the same time by email (info@nam.ac.uk). We recommend that these be sent a minimum of 10 working days' in advance.
When you arrive at the Templer Study Centre for your appointment, staff will ask to see your original documents and instruct you to hold them up to the Perspex screens that have been installed at the reception desk. Staff will then conduct a visual check of your original documents and, if satisfactory, your reader ticket be issued and the collection items you have pre-ordered be issued for consultation.
Accepted forms of photographic identification include:
Accepted forms of permanent address include:
All of the usual Templer Study Centre rules of access and collection handling guidelines remain in force. In addition, readers are expected to observe the following safety information for the duration of their visit.
On the day of the appointment, readers must bring their reader ticket and confirmation email with them.
Please limit the number of personal items that you bring to the Templer Study Centre. The only items that readers will be permitted to bring into the reading room are:
Limited locker facilities will be available for small bags and coats only. If required, one locker will be allocated to readers for the duration of their visit. The National Army Museum's cloakroom will be closed, so please do not bring suitcases, large bags or scooters during your visit.
Our on-site computer terminals, microfilm readers and open-browsing shelves will be unavailable. The Auchinleck Room's browsing shelves are also temporarily unavailable.
It is now compulsory in England to wear a face covering when visiting museums, libraries and public reading rooms. Readers are requested to bring and wear a face covering for the duration of their visit to the Templer Study Centre and when speaking to our staff. If you are exempt from wearing a face covering due to an age, health or disability reason, you may wish to show Templer Study Centre staff an exemption card, badge or homemade sign when you arrive. Exemption card templates can be found online.
Readers will be expected to have washed their hands prior to entering the Templer Study Centre and regularly throughout their visit. Hand sanitiser should not be used when in the Templer Study Centre.
On arrival at the National Army Museum, readers should let the Welcome Desk staff know that they are here for a pre-booked visit to the Templer Study Centre and show them the confirmation email. Readers will then be checked into the National Army Museum and directed to the Templer Study Centre.
Only one reader is allowed in the Templer Study Centre reception area at a time. If there is a queue at the door upon arrival, please maintain social distancing and remain outside the Templer Study Centre, at least 2 metres behind the next person, until you are able to move towards the reception desk.
When in the reception area, readers must stand on the green social distance markers in front of the Templer Study Centre reception desk, where they will receive further instructions on access.
Readers must follow social distancing rules, with at least a 2-metre distance observed at all times when in the Templer Study Centre and reading room.
Readers will be allocated a specific desk, which they will need to remain at when working throughout their research visit.
The items that you have requested to view will have been retrieved prior to your arrival. If you wish to view them in a specific order, please clearly outline this in the request email.
Once your reader card has been viewed, you have been signed in by Templer Study Centre staff and any additional belongings have been stored in your assigned locker, you will be requested to stand on the green social distance marker next to our transfer table. Staff will then place your first item on the transfer table.
Once the staff member has moved back to the reception desk, you may proceed to collect the item for viewing.
To return items once you have finished with them, place them back on the transfer table, and then move back to stand on the green social distance marker next to our transfer table. Staff will then retrieve the returned item and place the next item on the transfer table for you. This will be repeated until you have viewed all your requested items.
If readers are booked in for more than one day, please note that once a collection item has been accessed, we need to put items into quarantine for 72 hours. Readers will not be able to look at the same item again once it has been returned, and Templer Study Centre staff will not be able to hold items out for more than one visit.
If another reader is moving, retrieving or returning items, you are asked to remain at your seat until they have sat down or left the Templer Study Centre.
We ask readers to only remain in the reading room for as long as it takes to conduct their collections-based research, and not linger to complete writing or other personal work.
Readers are expected to complete their work by 3.05pm and to have promptly left the Templer Study Centre by 3.15pm. Please note that the National Army Museum closes to the public at 3.30pm.
Regular and thorough cleaning of all areas is being undertaken throughout the day, and collections items will be quarantined between users to ensure safe handing for the public and staff.
To ensure the safety of our collections, readers and staff, readers are expected to observe the following additional safety information when handling items.
Gloves are not permitted to be worn while handling collection items as gloves can cause damage.
Hand sanitiser should not be used immediately before handling collections as the alcohol in it can cause damage.
Readers are requested not move the safety screens between assigned desks.
Readers must only use the weights that have been left on their assigned desk and one book rest for the duration of their visit. Once finished, readers are requested to leave any used weights and book rests on their assigned desk. Readers can ask a member of staff for further weights and/or book rests if need.
Readers are requested to only use the maps table for consulting outsize material.
Readers should avoid touching door handles.
Before attempting to book a visit to the Templer Study Centre, we encourage the public to read our FAQs and website research advice to check if those assist in answering your research enquiry. Also, visit our Online Collection, as many items have been digitised and can be viewed online rather than in person. The Online Collection also often provides more details about items than the Inventory.
To better assist remote researchers and readers who are unable to visit the Templer Study Centre in person, we are making every effort to provide enhanced digital access where possible. Please complete and return by email (info@nam.ac.uk) the Templer Study Centre reprographics order form (also available in Word format) and we can advise on availability.
Please note that:
If you have any further enquiries about accessing the collections during the first phase of reopening, please submit them by email to info@nam.ac.uk.
We will be recording the times that readers enter and leave the Templer Study Centre in order to reduce the risk of a local outbreak of coronavirus.
In line with guidance issued by the Department for Health and Social Care, your contact details will be held securely for 21 days in order to support NHS Test and Trace. Please see our Privacy Policy for further details.