Chetham's Library

The oldest free public library in the English-speaking world, where Marx and Engels worked

Address Long Millgate, Manchester M3 1SB
Phone 0161 834 7961

Chetham's Library occupies a medieval fortified house immediately adjacent to Manchester Cathedral, and it feels as though nothing much has changed inside since the 17th century. The building dates from around 1421 and still has its original dark-oak reading bays, chained books, and the atmosphere of a place that has outlasted every change in the city around it.

The library is open to researchers and tourists alike, though you must ring the bell to enter. Visits are free. The collection includes manuscripts, early printed books, and extensive archives relating to Manchester's history. Even if you have no interest in the books, the building itself — a genuine piece of medieval domestic architecture in the heart of a modern industrial city — is worth the trip alone. The small garden outside the old collegiate building is one of the quieter spots in central Manchester.

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A story
Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels used Chetham's Library regularly during the 1840s while Marx was researching what would become Das Kapital. Their preferred alcove — a bay window in the reading room overlooking Long Millgate — still exists, with a small plaque marking where the two men sat. The library has been in continuous operation since 1653, making it the oldest free public library in the English-speaking world.

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