Greater Manchester County Record Office was opened in 1976, two years after the establishment of the metropolitan county councils in England and Wales. It moved to its present address in 1983, and, after the abolition of Greater Manchester County Council in 1986, is now funded by the Association of Greater Manchester Authorities. The main function of the Office is to store historical records relating to the Greater Manchester area, and to make them available for members of the public for research. There are now some 4 miles of shelving of records, which date back to 1197, and this page attempts to describe the main categories, and indicate how they may be used.