Gladstone's Library

Gladstone's Library is a unique institution. It is the UK's finest residential library, boasting 26 bedrooms, an on-site restaurant and a comfortable guest lounge. It is also the UK's only Prime Ministerial library and was built following a bequest from William Ewart Gladstone, Victorian statesman and four times Prime Minister of Great Britain. The current building, raised in 1902 and designed by John Douglas, was funded by public subscription. The organisation is a self-sustaining registered charity: every donation made and pound spent here goes directly into maintaining the site and the collections it protects. 

We host a lively programme of events which include talks, workshops, masterclasses and residential courses. You can find out what's on - and book onto our Glimpse tours - by following this link. 

Our world-famous Reading Rooms house thousands of books, including the Gladstone Collection, which comprises items from Gladstone's own personal library. It is also home to several unique archival collections, making it a destination for scholars from across the globe.

The Reading Rooms are silent study spaces, offering writers, researchers and readers a space in which to think and work. A number of published works, including academic books and bestselling novels have been produced here. You can become a Reader to access and make use of our Reading Rooms. It is free to sign up! You can search our catalogue using the form on this page.