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Where the books were written, set, sold, printed and buried: from the Globe to the graves, the bookshops to the presses.
This season's book talks, festivals and exhibitions are in What's On: Books & writers
The Church of England's library since 1610, now in a brick tower in the palace garden, with free exhibitions from a collection that includes a Gutenberg Bible.
Libraries & archivesGo insideFree
Archbishop Bancroft left his books to his successors in 1610 and the library has been open to scholars ever since, which makes it one of the oldest public libraries in the country: the Lambeth Bible and the MacDurnan Gospels, a Gutenberg Bible, Elizabeth I's prayer book, the papers of the archbishops and the records of the Reformation and the English Bible. Wright & Wright's nine-storey tower of 2021 stands at the north end of the palace garden with a public gallery on the ground floor, where the exhibitions change through the year, and a reading room above that anyone with an interest can register for.
| Monday | 10:00 – 17:00 |
|---|---|
| Tuesday | 11:00 – 17:00 |
| Wednesday | 10:00 – 17:00 |
| Thursday | 10:00 – 19:15 |
| Friday | 10:00 – 17:00 |
| Saturday | Closed |
| Sunday | Closed |
Hours from the page that lists them, checked 5 September 2026.
Free exhibitions in the entrance gallery; the reading room needs a reader's card, issued on the day.
Submit a correction for this listing.
Data is compiled from public sources including OpenStreetMap, under the ODbL. Hours change often, so check before making a journey.