At Home in the Library

Since a report on the Library collection at Tatton in 2005, increased knowledge and understanding of the Library collection and its importance at a national and international level, have led us to plan to make this room and collection more accessible to the public.


The newly re-displayed Library ©George Littler, Tatton Park



The Tatton Library is regarded within the National Trust as one of its top library collections and has an important and varied collection, with the earliest book dating from 1513, to books collected in the 20th century by the last Lord Egerton. It also retains its original Gillows library furniture and is important for its architectural features. The Library was completed around 1818/20 as part of the scheme by architects Samuel and Lewis William Wyatt.

One key aspect of the Tatton Library is that the Egertons were keen book collectors, and that each successive generation added their own significant layer of collecting interest to the Library at Tatton. This Library was a resource for the family, a source of entertainment and interest, and of great pride – it is populated by many fine specimens and bindings, it was used and added to and the books themselves are often annotated by their owners. In addition amongst the Egertons were a number of authors, three of whom:

• Wilbraham Egerton (1832 – 1909) wrote on a variety of subjects – The Cheshire Gentry, Co-operation in Agriculture, A Descriptive Catalogue of the collection of Oriental armour and weapons formed by Lord Egerton …, Education of deaf children.

• His second wife, the Duchess of Buckingham and Chandos published a memoir of her travels: Glimpses of four continents: letters written during a tour in Australia, New Zealand and North America in 1893, along with some stories for children which were published.

• Beatrix Tollemache published her Cranford Souvenirs in 1900.

Taking all of this into account the new Library project was launched this month, seeking to make the Library more accessible and interesting to our visitors. One third of the Library at the west end has been carpeted with protective drugget. This area can now be used by visitors. Two sofas from the Tatton collection have been strengthened and re-upholstered for visitor use, and a Gillows bookcase has been made ready to house books which have a Tatton Park connection, and books for children.

We have created an inviting area for visitors to sit and read and look at material from the collection. The production of replica copies of some of our most interesting and rare books are in the process of being made so that visitors can read something which looks like the original. Probably most successful of all has been the purchase of an iPad on which we have put photographs of some of our books so that visitors can see inside them, without putting the originals at risk.

Come and take a look – it’s a great new facility and we’d be happy to show it to you. You can find out more about the Mansion on our website.

Caroline Schofield, Mansion and Collections Manager