Canterbury Cathedral Library Visits

About

A visit to the magnificent Howley-Harrison Library at Canterbury Cathedral, with a display of highlights from their printed collections is available to book across selected dates this summer.

The historic library is not usually open to the public, and these visits afford a rare opportunity to discover more about the fascinating story of the library, and uncover its stunning collections. The medieval library was once one of the largest in England before Henry VIII's Reformation saw its collection decimated and the library demolished. In the 17th century the collection was built up again, but without a building to house the books a new library had to be constructed and by the mid 1660s there was a new library at Canterbury Cathedral which has continued to grow to this day. It is now one of the four largest Cathedral libraries in England.

Visits are available on the following dates, at 2pm, lasting about 45 minutes:

Wed 04 May
Wed 18 May
Wed 08 Jun
Wed 22 Jun
Wed 06 Jul
Wed 20 Jul
Visits cost £8 per person; pre-booking required. If you also wish to visit Canterbury Cathedral during your visit, entrance costs are £14 per adult.

To reserve your place, please email archives@canterbury-cathedral.org or telephone 01227 865330.

Please note that this Library visit is not suitable for children under 12.