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Historic Libraries & Archives at Palace Green Library

Lying at the heart of the World Heritage Site between the Castle and the Cathedral, Palace Green Library and its collections have, since the middle of the 17th century, represented the best of humanity’s thirst for knowledge and understanding.
Palace Green Library Exterior

Building closure - upcoming dates

Due to extensive roofing works at Palace Green Library, there will be times when we have to close the building to visitors between summer 2024 and spring 2025.

Visit our Tickets and Times page for more information.

See our opening times

Plan Your Visit

Find out everything you need to know to get the most from our visit: how to find us, opening times and more. Plus, everything you need to know if you or anyone in your group has any special needs or requirements.

Contact us
Image of a tour guide explainging the history of Bishop Cosin's library to a group
Tickets and times
A series of historic stone buildings of different shapes and sizes sit behind a roadway. There is a large lawn in the front.
Getting here
A student smiles as they look at the bookshelves in the historic library
Access
A visitor buys a book from the front desk at Palace green
Facilities

History of the collections

Find out more about how our collections were created and found their way to the University.

  • Bishop Cosin and his Library

    Innovative, revolutionary and ambitious; perhaps not traits many associate with librarians, but John Cosin, Bishop of Durham, was all of these.
    Cosin's Library balcony with bookcases lined along it and a view of the lower level bookcases in the background

  • Sharp Family of Bamburgh

    An extraordinary family of clergymen, politicians, lawyers, surgeons, industrialists, and philanthropists who created the Bamburgh Library.
    The top half of the first page of the Bamburgh Library borrower register. Although the library was given to the Lord Crewe Trustees in 1792, it did not formally open until June 1797 (DUL Bamburgh MS B1, folio 1). Reproduced with permission of the Lord Crewe’s Trustees (TBC)

  • Martin Routh

    Before the University was gifted Cosin’s Library, Routh’s collection of 15,000 volumes was its most significant early printed book collection.
    Plaster bust of Martin Routh on one of the walls in the Routh Library.

Bishop Cosin and his Library

Innovative, revolutionary and ambitious; perhaps not traits many associate with librarians, but John Cosin, Bishop of Durham, was all of these.
Cosin's Library balcony with bookcases lined along it and a view of the lower level bookcases in the background

Sharp Family of Bamburgh

An extraordinary family of clergymen, politicians, lawyers, surgeons, industrialists, and philanthropists who created the Bamburgh Library.
The top half of the first page of the Bamburgh Library borrower register. Although the library was given to the Lord Crewe Trustees in 1792, it did not formally open until June 1797 (DUL Bamburgh MS B1, folio 1). Reproduced with permission of the Lord Crewe’s Trustees (TBC)

Martin Routh

Before the University was gifted Cosin’s Library, Routh’s collection of 15,000 volumes was its most significant early printed book collection.
Plaster bust of Martin Routh on one of the walls in the Routh Library.
Learn more about the history of our collections
Palace Green Library is actually a series of building dating from the 15th century, such an evocative stone built building, most definitely well worth checking out if you're in the area and easy to locate along Palace Green.
Neil K
Liverpool

Architecture

Palace Green Library is not one, but a collection of buildings. Explore the story of the evolution of the site and the buildings.

Still from the panoramic tour of the Exchequer Building. The tour shows the layout of the Chancery Court (currently housing the Bamburgh Library).
A person exploring the books at a bookcase in Cosin's Library.

Using our collections

We welcome anyone who wishes to study our collections. Find out more about searching our collections online and how to make a research appointment.

Find out more about using our collections

Nearby attractions

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Museum of Archaeology

Charting the story of Durham from prehistory to modern times.

1 Minute Walk
A family exiting Palace Green Library.

Durham World Heritage Site Visitor Centre

Find out everything you need to know to make the most of your visit to Durham.
1 Minute Walk
A Durham Castle tour guide leading a tour

Durham Castle

Sitting at the heart of Durham's World Heritage Site and occupied continuously since the 11th century.
2 Minute Walk
A view of the castle gatehouse from the courtyard

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