1085 to 2006: A Domesday Book for a digital age
1085 to 2006: A Domesday Book for a digital age
Domesday logo
04 August 2006
As of today, Domesday Book, the oldest public record held at The National Archives, is brought into the 21st century through Domesday Online, the organisation's latest digitisation project.
Through this venture, The National Archives hopes people will take the opportunity to visit Domesday Book from the comfort of their own homes, and learn more about this iconic document.
The most exciting element of the project is that the public can now search the Book by name of town, city or village. For a small fee (£3.50) it is also possible to purchase a copy of the original page featuring the place name and a translation of the entry into modern English.
The website, provided by The National Archives' DocumentsOnline service, also contains useful information about the history of this 920-year-old document. It was commissioned in 1085 by William I who conquered England after the Battle of Hastings in 1066.
In 2005 it was voted the nation's finest treasure, yet a recent survey conducted in conjunction with today's launch revealed that less than 1% of the population have actually been to see the original in The National Archives' museum.
