About the Library
The medieval library of Durham’s Benedictine priory is by far the best preserved of any in Britain or Ireland. Considerably more items survive here than from any other pre-Reformation monastic collection
The collection is made up of manuscripts and books dating from the 6th to the 16th centuries. As well as texts written in England and Ireland, there are works produced in France, Germany and Italy. The Priory Library includes masterpieces of calligraphy and illumination, spanning a millennium of European culture.
There is also an extensive series of library catalogues extending from the 11th - 15th centuries.