Durham Clayport Library

Opening hours

• Monday - 9.30am to 7.00pm
• Tuesday - 9.30am to 7.00pm
• Wednesday - 9.30am to 7.00pm
• Thursday - 9.30am to 7.00pm
• Friday - 9.30am to 7.00pm (closed from 12.45pm on Friday 23 December)
• Saturday - 9.00am to 5.0pm
• Sunday - closed

Events and activities

Adult origami session (drop-in)

Time: 2.00pm to 3.30pm
Day: Monday
Frequency: Weekly

Toddler story and rhyme time (drop-in)

Time: 10:30am to 11:00am
Day: Wednesday
Frequency: Weekly

Durham University student volunteering and community outreach - one to one computer support

Time: 2.00pm to 3:30pm
Day: Wednesday
Frequency: Weekly (university term time only)

Toddler story and rhyme time (drop-in)

Time: 10:30am to 11:00am
Day: Friday
Frequency: Weekly

Reading group

Time: 2.00pm to 3.00pm
Day: Monday
Frequency: Monthly (Last Monday of month)

Reading group

Time: 5.30pm to 6.30pm 
Day: Wednesday
Frequency: Monthly (First Wednesday of month)

What's available

• browsing 
• free Wi-Fi
• computer access
• self-service photocopying and printing
• book request service
• inter library loans
• study tables
• express local studies
• reference books on request
• reference enquiry service (by telephone or email)

Reference section

The reference section in our library holds many useful and fascinating sources of information about people and places in County Durham, especially the northern reaches. Some resources are of special interest to family historians. Others are useful for people looking at places and events.

Weekly events

Monthly events

Local history resources

• Books and pamphlets - the local studies collection includes over 10,000 books, pamphlets, articles and newspaper cuttings.
• Maps - available at various scales covering Durham City and the surrounding area. Ordnance Survey maps from 1860, 1898 and 1923 (covering County Durham) are available on our computer database, the Durham Record, and we also have a small collection of old original maps.
• Local newspapers - copies of the Durham County Advertiser (1814-2001) and the Durham Chronicle (1820-1951) are available on microfilm. We also have a newspaper cuttings file which contains articles of local interest.
• Photographs - our computer database, The Durham Record, holds over 10,000 photographs dating from around 1860 to the present day.
• Trade directories - our collection of local and business directories covers County Durham and Northumberland for various dates from 1827 to 1994.

Family history resources

• General Register Office Index (known as the St Catherine's House Index): civil registration of births, marriages and deaths began in 1837 in England and Wales. The General Register Office produces an index to these records which is available in our library on microfiche.
• Census Records: national censuses have been taken every ten years since 1841. Full census details are not released until 100 years later. The 1911 census is now available via Ancestry. Durham County Record Office has microfiche and microfilm copies of the census available for the historic County of Durham for 1841, 1851, 1861, 1871, 1881, 1891 and 1901.
• International Genealogical Index (IGI): this index, available on microfiche, is compiled by the Church of the Latter-day Saints and gives details of births, deaths and marriages taken from parish registers all over the country.
• Boyd's Marriage Index: this index is available from 1538-1837 on microfilm at our library.
• Parish registers: a large selection is available at the Durham County Record Office.
• Ancestry Library Edition: all our libraries have a subscription to Ancestry Library. Book now via Library Online to use this resource for free. It covers the census, General Register Office index and other useful resources for family history.

If you would like to look at any of the resources available on microfiche and microfilm we recommend that you contact us to book a session before you visit.

How to get there

Durham Clayport Library is situated in Millennium Place, just off Claypath and opposite the Gala Theatre in Durham City.

There is a multi-storey car park within the Walkergate development that gives direct access to Millennium Place.

Cycle parking facilities - nine are available at this library.

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