Chetham's Library

September 2021We're now open for pre-booked public tours - book here! Readers, please contact us as far in advance as possible to arrange an appointment with the librarian or archivist. X

Medieval Manchester Festival - Saturday 25 & Sunday 26 September
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Support us: Covid-19 Appeal
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Chetham's Library was founded in 1653 and is the oldest public library in Britain. Book your tour here!
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Library From Home : come on a virtual visit to our collections
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Chetham’s Library has been in continuous use as a public library for over 350 years. It is housed in a beautiful sandstone building dating from 1421 which was built to accommodate the priests of Manchester’s Collegiate Church. The entire collection at Chetham’s Library has been designated as one of national and international importance. The Library is also an accredited museum, attracting visitors from all over the world.

We’re happy to say we’re now open again for visitors who want to see the medieval buildings and library (pre-booked tickets only at present), and you can book your visit here. We look forward to seeing you!

If you’re coming to us as a reader or researcher, you can find out about our collections here and in our catalogues. If you’d like to see what aspects of the Library you can explore from your screen, please start with our From Home page, which we developed during lockdown. You’ll need an appointment in advance, so please give as much notice as possible for your intended visit. We can be contacted on the email addresses on our Contact Us page.

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Delve into our wonderful collections online

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Chetham's Library tours are back!

Visiting the library

Public tours are back!

Tour booking dates here!

Please visit our blog, From Home pages and social media (Twitter, Facebook, Instagram) for regular highlights from our collection; we will endeavour to keep posting things of interest!

Tour booking dates here!

Need to get in touch? Please contact us here.

Humphrey Chetham

Humphrey Chetham (1580–1653), the most successful gentleman merchant of seventeenth-century Lancashire, was born in Crumpsall Hall, near Manchester, and later lived at Clayton Hall near Droylsden. His fortune was...

Blog

— 16th September 2021
General Wolfe’s Sword

As we are preparing to change the objects we have on display, we thought it...
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— 11th August 2021
Sebastian Münster’s Cosmographia

We thought we would share one of the treasures requested by our readers this week,...
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— 13th July 2021
Manor Court Rolls from the West Riding

We are delighted to announce that the Library has acquired copies of a valuable contribution...
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