About us
The Aviva Group Archive was established in 2000 with the merger of CGU and Norwich Union. The collection is composed of the records of these companies and their historical constituents, reflecting Aviva's on-going history.
Our oldest constituent, the Hand-in-Hand Fire Office, was established in 1696 and the Archive’s holdings date from this period onwards.
It has been described by the author and historian Edwin Green as "the most important insurance industry archive in the United Kingdom".
What's in the Collection?
The collection includes statutory and other records of on-going value to the business and those of historical value. For example: board papers, company minutes, and old advertising.
For more information, please refer to the links below, or get in touch.
Current projects
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Direct Line Archive
8 Dec 2025
Help us capture the milestones, innovations, and achievements that define DLG – from its foundation to the present day.
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Amicable Contributors
28 Mar 2024
Find out more about and get involved with this crowdsourcing project to map our earliest policies, dating from 1696-1865.
Get in touch
If you have any questions relating to the Archive, please contact us using the details below. Please note, we cannot assist with policy enquiries.
The Archive is based in Surrey House, Norwich. View a map of our location here. Access is by prior appointment and subject to the terms and conditions of our Access Policy.
(Image: Norwich Union postcard featuring Surrey House, c.1915.)
More from the Archive...
Flickr
Visual treats from our 325+ years of history.
Historypin
Hidden gems from our photograph collection on the map.
Medium
Unearth some fascinating stories from our past.
The National Archives
Explore our catalogue.