WEA Archives

With a rich and continuous history dating back to 1903, the WEA has played a pivotal role in shaping adult education and lifelong learning across the United Kingdom.

This page serves as your central guide to locating the substantial documented content created and collected by the WEA over more than a century. These archives offer a unique and invaluable insight into the social, educational, and political history of Britain. We've also collected some of Highway magazines and publications at the bottom of this page.

Discover our archives

The WEA's extensive records are held in various locations across the country to ensure their preservation and accessibility for researchers, historians, and the public. These collections document the growth, administration, local activity, and impact of the WEA in both England and Scotland. This is not a complete collection: if you know of anything else, please get in touch.

London Metropolitan University

Contains the majority of WEA archives, including central organisation records, 1906-1995, records of the Central Joint Advisory Committee, 1910-1958, records of WEA districts, 1914-1992, records of the WEA TUC Committee. Also includes the Bernard Jennings papers, mainly material relating to his research into WEA history and his period as WEA President.

Search their archive here

Glasgow Caledonian University

Their archive contain over 120 years of documents relating to the WEA in Scotland, including the remnants of the P. M. Dott Memorial Library. Dr Dott established this subscription library of over 1000 books in December of 1937 in memory of his father, an Edinburgh art dealer with a long-term interest in supporting non-partisan socialism.

Search their archive here

Working Class Movement Library

The library provides open access to the collections through programmes, events, courses and other activities so working class people can learn from, and interpret their history. Historic WEA documentation and publications are held in their archive and are viewable by request.

Search their archive here

Smaller archives up and down the country

There are many smaller archives up and down the country. For example, relating to WEA branches: Guildford branch, Cambridge branch and York branch. Or places such as Balliol College, or the University of Leeds.

This list is not exhaustive, and a Google search will highlight more near you. If you have any WEA documentation, please get in touch.

Highway archive

We've collated an archive collection of our Highway magazines. This is not an exhaustive archive, and is intended to give a sample of the publication through the years.

Do you have any digital copies to add to our archive? Get in touch.

Access the Highway archive

WEA publications

We've also collated various WEA heritage projects, books, publications and interesting documents, dating back to the 1930s. Check back regularly as we add more.

Do you have any digital copies to add to our archive? Get in touch.

Access the publications archive