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.

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.

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.
Sharp Family of Bamburgh
An extraordinary family of clergymen, politicians, lawyers, surgeons, industrialists, and philanthropists who created the Bamburgh Library.
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.

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.

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.

Cosin’s Library Exchequer Building University Library and George Pace Building Still from the panoramic tour of the Exchequer Building. The tour shows the layout of the Chancery Court (currently housing the Bamburgh Library).

Still from the panoramic tour of the Exchequer Building. The tour shows the layout of the Chancery Court (currently housing the Bamburgh Library).

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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. Read more 1 Minute Walk
Durham World Heritage Site Visitor Centre
Find out everything you need to know to make the most of your visit to Durham. Read more 1 Minute Walk
Durham Castle
Sitting at the heart of Durham's World Heritage Site and occupied continuously since the 11th century. Read more 2 Minute Walk