Lambeth Palace Library, located in the grounds of Lambeth Palace, is the official archive of the Archbishop of Canterbury and contains historical documents for the Church of England. The library is open to the public and holds approximately 200,000 printed books, including handwritten works by Queen Elizabeth I and King Henry VIII. It also contains social and local history, including church correspondence discussing the bombing of London during World War II. Visitors do not need an appointment, but a special ticket is required for the first visit and to view materials produced after 1800.
Lambeth Palace Library contains the official archives of the Archbishop of Canterbury and as such also contains historical documents for the Church of England. The library is housed in the grounds of Lambeth Palace, which was the official residence of the Archbishop of Canterbury for some 800 years. Since its inception in 1610, the London library has been open to the public. Its collections mainly concern the history of the church, but there are also other significant objects, such as genealogical records, architectural documents and social and local history.
The number of printed books in the collection held at Lambeth Palace Library is approximately 200,000. Many of the books, some 30,000, date from before 1700. Some of his books are handwritten, created before the invention of printing. The library holds samples of the handwriting of Queen Elizabeth I and King Henry VIII, with Henry VIII’s sample handwritten on a document defending his marriage to one of his six wives.
Social history can also be found within the library. The bombing of London by Germany during World War II, for example, is discussed in church correspondence of the time. Also in the library are a historic dagger and the shell of an archbishop’s pet tortoise that was accidentally killed by a palace gardener, unseen while hibernating.
In its early years, Lambeth Palace was also called Lambeth House or the Manor of Lambeth. Even hundreds of years ago, visitors found Lambeth Palace Library impressive, with Peter the Great’s reaction recorded as amazed in 1698 at the sheer number of works on his shelves. James I called the library “a monument of fame”.
A good part of the Lambeth Palace Library is located within the Great Hall of the palace. Parts of the hall had to be rebuilt after WWII bombings and also after the English Civil War. Today visitors do not need an appointment to enter the prestigious library and its collections are available to all. The first visit, however, requires guests to obtain a special ticket before using the facility, and the ticket is valid for five years. Obtaining a ticket to view materials produced after 1800 requires a visitor to present two current photographs and proof of address, and viewing older materials also requires the submission of a cover letter.
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