Archives and Special Collections: Durham Cathedral Collections: Other collections

Care and custody of the cathedral's archive and manuscript collections is divided between the University Library and Collections and Durham Cathedral Library.

or further information on how to access the collections, see the separate access page in this guide.

The main cathedral collections in the custody of the University are as follows:

• The archive of Durham Cathedral itself (and of the Benedictine Priory before 1540)
• Durham Cathedral's Additional Manuscripts collection
• Most papers belonging originally to bishops of Durham and other clergy (except the Henson papers)

The collections managed by Durham Cathedral Library staff include:

• Printed book collections (with a very few exceptions at shelfmark ChapterLib 942)
• Music manuscripts
• Most papers created or collected by antiquarians (except the Ralph Nelson files which are at 5 The College)
• The journals and other papers of Herbert Hensley Henson
• Object collections (church plate, embroideries, Anglo-Saxon stones and other treasures)

The medieval manuscripts and incunables collection (books printed before 1500) are accessed through Palace Green Library.