Cotton library

The Cotton Library is a manuscript collection at the British Library in City of Westminster that houses 958 manuscripts. The materials are stored in a roughly 26-foot-long room, with shelves identified by busts of Roman emperors.

Sir Robert Bruce Cotton established this manuscript collection in 1588, creating one of the most important private libraries of his era. The collection later became a foundation for the creation of the British Museum and British Library.

The collection holds precious medieval texts, including the only surviving Beowulf manuscript and the Lindisfarne Gospels from the British Isles. These works reveal the religious and literary importance that shaped early communities across these lands.

Researchers access the manuscripts through a reference system based on bust names, shelf letters, and sequential numbers, such as Nero B.iv. To use the materials, visitors must request formal access through the library.

A fire in 1731 at Ashburnham House destroyed 114 manuscripts and damaged 98 others, prompting early conservation efforts. This incident significantly contributed to the development of modern preservation techniques.

Location: City of Westminster

Website: https://bl.uk/collection-guides/cotton-manuscripts

GPS coordinates: 51.52944,-0.12694

Latest update: December 7, 2025 10:06