Covid: Chetham's Library reopens after longest closure

The reopening is being marked by an extended visitor tour

The oldest public library in the English-speaking world has reopened after the longest closure in its history.

The cornanvirus pandemic meant Chetham's Library in Manchester had been closed for the last 15 months.

Academic readers and visitors are now able to access the museum and working library, which had previously been open continuously since 1653.

Librarian Fergus Wilde spoke of his "joy and relief" at the opening.

"It has been 15 long months since we last welcomed visitors or academic researchers through our doors," he said.

"This is our longest closure in 350 years, so it is with great joy and relief that we now welcome people back into our historic buildings."

The 600-year-old Grade-I medieval buildings, once home to priests from Manchester's collegiate church, have been in continuous use as a library since the 17th Century, with the institution saying it is the oldest public library in the English-speaking world.

Chetham's Library had been open continuously since 1653 before the pandemic struck

It has now welcomed the return of academic researchers

The reopening on Wednesday has been marked by a new extended visitor tour revealing Manchester's history through rare manuscripts, pictures and maps.

Some items and facsimiles from the library collection are also being displayed for the first time.

Visitors will see a wide range of Manchester-related artefacts, highlighting the city's evolution from a market-town through the Industrial Revolution to the modern era.

Items include the 17th Century manuscript of the first history of the city, original watercolours by the town's antiquarian one-legged saddlemaker Thomas Barritt, the first printed map of the town, and photos and magic lantern slides.