Thank you to all of our supporters. Every donation and ticket bought means that we can care for the collection and medieval buildings and inspire the next generation of readers and thinkers. 

Chetham’s Library is the oldest public library in the English-speaking world and the building itself dates to 1421. It costs over £400,000 every year to carefully conserve the books and preserve the medieval buildings, so the Library can remain open for visitors and readers to enjoy. We host fascinating tours and events for all-ages to inspire a love and appreciation of culture and history, and we support academics from around the world with their research. We could not do any of this without donations.

The collection at Chetham’s Library is Arts Council accredited and includes some notable texts such as the 13th Century Flores Historiarum manuscript, a first edition of John Milton’s epic poem Paradise Lost; a 1534 edition of Tyndale’s New Testament, Henry VIII’s Prosper of Aquitaine and a wealth of printed and manuscript material on the 1819 Peterloo Massacre. The building has hosted historical figures including Marx, Engels and Dr. John Dee and our tours feature fascinating stories about these revolutionary characters.

If you would like to learn more about supporting us please get in touch, we would love to hear from you.

Email: Development@chethams.com   Tel: 0161 838 7202

Chetham’s is registered with the Fundraising Regulator. This means we are committed to ensuring that our fundraising is legal, open, honest and respectful.