For one day only, visit Chetham’s Library free of charge to celebrate People Power, as Heritage Open Days mark 200 years since Peterloo.
Chetham’s is the oldest public library in the English speaking world, and home to volumes dating back to the 13th century, including a rich collection of local, social and political history. Its ancient gated book presses house many of the research materials used for Mike Leigh’s acclaimed film exploring the events on St Peter’s Field in August 1819, which will be displayed for visitors in the atmospheric Reading Room. Alongside them stands the desk at which, 30 years later, Marx and Engels met in Manchester to explore the ideas leading to The Communist Manifesto – two key moments in the journey to democracy and equality, encapsulated in a single room.
As part of Heritage Open Days 2019, enjoy free access to Chetham’s Library and its surrounding courtyard. The oldest surviving buildings in Manchester include the vaulted medieval Baronial Hall, the decorative Audit Room – home to Elizabethan magus Dr Dee – and the charming, cloistered Fox Court.
No booking required – call in from 11.00-15.30
