We are the country’s oldest provincial antiquarian society. In the two centuries since we were founded in 1813, we have encouraged a deeper understanding of the history and archaeology of North East England. You can find out about our history in our Bicentenary Book, 200 Years: the Society of Antiquaries of Newcastle upon Tyne 1813-2013.
Membership
Membership of Newcastle Antiquaries is open to anybody with an interest in the history and archaeology of the North East. We are keen to encourage new people to join, and to increase the diversity of our membership. Follow this link to join online.
Our aim is to promote the preservation, study and enjoyment of historical and archaeological heritage in general, and of the North East of England in particular. We have approaching 800 members, and always welcome new ones. Membership costs £20 per year for students, £40 for individual members, and £64 for joint members. We also have special student online-only membership for only £5 for the academic year. Click here to find out details of what each membership category offers, and here for the online application form.
We are the oldest provincial antiquarian society in the country, founded in 1813. Our library of over 30,000 books and journals is on the second floor of the Great North Museum: Hancock, and is open to the public.Follow this link for opening hours. We own many of the exhibits on display in museums in the region, and our large archives are deposited at Northumberland Archives. Our Unlocking the Archives project, originally funded by the Heritage Lottery Fund, has made a number of documents accessible, through digitising and transcribing them.
Our Constitution
After having been an unincorporated association for over two centuries, at the beginning of 2020 we became a Charitable Incorporated Organisation (a CIO) Our new charity registration number is 1188638. We produce an Annual Report and Accounts, and submit yearly returns to the Charity Commissioners. Follow this link for more information.
Follow these links for a background paper, and our current Constitution.
News and Events
We have a full programme of lectures, walks and visits, and social events. See the 2024 programme page for more information.
Keep up to date
We run a regular monthly e-circular. If you are a member and would like to be included on the e-mailing list, please e-mail the website editor. Please note that, as required under the General Data Protection Regulations, we only send e-circulars or electronic copies of the News Bulletin to those from whom we have received specific consent to do so. Members who have not consented receive items by post only. You can of course resubscribe to our e-mail lists at any time; simply send us an e-mail, including your name and (if known) your membership number.
Follow this link for details of how to contact us
Publications
We sponsor and publish research into North East history and archaeology of all periods, and have a number of books and pamphlets available for sale. We have a learned journal, Archaeologia Aeliana, and publish a twice-yearly News Bulletin.
We also have a Facebook page and are on X (formerly Twitter).
