John Rylands Research Institute and Library Tours and Activities

Many buildings have been called 'temples' to the collections housed in them – but the John Rylands Library is one of the few that actually looks like one. Styled like a medieval cathedral, this towering Gothic masterpiece houses some of the most famous books, manuscripts and parchments in the world. Ancient Biblical texts, works by Greek play-rights and first editions of world-changing tomes are on display in its resplendent reading rooms.The library owes its origins to the wealth of Victorian Manchester, when the city was in its heyday. Many rich industrialists were keen to give something back to the city that made their fortunes one of these was Enriqueta Rylands, widow of John Rylands. She used her inheritance to buy up some of the best private collections of books in Britain – and to build a magnificent building to house them.The reason for the Library’s cathedral-like appearance also lies with Mrs Rylands. Her initial collections had many religious works, and she wanted them housed in a spiritually uplifting place. The architect Basil Champneys, constructed John Rylands Library from nearby red sandstone – deep red Penrith 'Barbary' sandstone for the outside, pink 'Shawk' stone, from Dalston, inside. The building is marked-out by its Gothic touches – intricate stone latticework, pillars and arches, with light streaming inside through its large stained-glass windows.When completed in 1900, it had around 70,000 books and manuscripts. John Rylands now has at least 250,000 volumes and more than a million manuscripts. Most of these are available for public reading – once you're registered as a 'reader' – though some of the rarest need special permission. Perhaps the most treasured of those is the St John Fragment, which, at 1,900 years old, is considered the oldest New Testament writing in existence. There are also early scraps of the Gospel of John and the 'Gospel of Mary'. Gutenberg's first printed Bible, from the 1450s, is here, as are many first editions, like James Joyce's Ulysses and Geoffrey Chaucer's Canterbury Tales. So whether it's to immerse yourself in literary history, or to gaze in awe at this marvellous building, a trip to John Rylands is more a pilgrimage than a visit to the library.