Welcome to one of Britain's oldest public libraries
Lambeth Palace Library is the historic library of the archbishops of Canterbury and the principal library and record office for the history of the Church of England.  The Library focuses on ecclesiastical history, but its rich collections are important for an immense variety of topics from the history of art and architecture to colonial and Commonwealth history, and for innumerable aspects of English social, political and economic history.  It is also a significant resource for local history and genealogy.

The Library was founded as a public library by Archbishop Bancroft in 1610, and its collections have been freely available for research ever since.  Using these pages you can explore our holdings, and find out about visiting the Library and the services available here.

  • Access: useful information on readers' tickets, how to get here, opening times
  • Holdings: discover some of the rare and unique material held here 
  • Services: what's on offer at the Library including things to buy, reprographics...
  • Become a Friend of Lambeth Palace Library
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Last updated SW/09-12-02
 

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Lambeth Palace Library, London, SE1 7JU, UK
tel: + 44 (0)20 7898 1400  fax: + 44 (0)20 7928 7932
These pages were created and are maintained by Sarah Wickham, Assistant Archivist.
Disclaimer
All the information on this site is © Lambeth Palace Library 1999-2002, and images on this site may not be reproduced without payment of a fee.  Lambeth Palace Library accepts no liability for information on sites linked to from these pages.
This web site contains general information about Lambeth Palace Library. Nothing on this site is to be taken as constituting specific advice about our services. Please contact us in advance on any specific matter relating to your visit or to the records we hold.