St. Paul’s library restored – ADC

Up in the gods of St Paul’s Cathedral, in an area known as the Triforium level – essentially it’s attic – one of the UK’s best kept 18th Century interiors is back open after a five-year hiatus.

Completed in 1709, the library reaches two stories high and contains more than 13,000 volumes of books and manuscripts, the oldest of which dates back to 1313. Here, Portland stone panelling surround a gallery, with these panels enamoured with deep, ornate carvings. Beneath, an array of brackets supporting the gallery enjoy decoration of equal measure, this time carved out of wood. (Recent research, however, uncovered the fact that the gallery walkway is cantilevered from the wall, with the brackets being purely decorative).

Before work began on the restoration in 2018, the most significant changes to the library were the addition of electrical lights and a heating system in the early 1900s. In fact, the cathedral nearly didn’t have a library at all, with its collection almost entirely destroyed by the Great Fire of London in 1066. Following the damage, however, Sir Christopher Wren’s Library chamber was restocked by the cathedral’s Commissioners for rebuilding St Paul’s following the damage.

The £800,000 refurbishment, funded mostly through donations and benefactors of St Paul’s, saw books be cleaned, walls re-painted, a new lighting scheme put in place, new desks for readers, as well as a new display case. Work was also done to the cantilevered gallery which was showing signs of sagging.

In order to clean such a vast amount of books, volumes were packed into 900 boxes, of which were lowered down from the gallery through a pulley system of ropes. Then, they were transformed aircraft hangers at RAF Upper Heyford in Oxfordshire. Once the books were safely stored elsewhere, those restoring the library were able to test paint pigments in order to match the colours of original designs of Wren, as well as clean and repair the bookshelves.

The restored library is open to the public who can visit it through booking the Triforium tour of the Cathedral or by making an appointment to access the collections.

“The Cathedral Library is a remarkable room, and remains one of Sir Christopher Wren’s great achievements. It is fitting that, as we mark 300 years since his death, his Library is able to reopen after five years of painstaking restoration,” the Dean of St Paul’s Cathedral, the Very Reverend Andrew Tremlett said in a statement.

“With books, manuscripts, Bibles and liturgical texts dating back hundreds of years, the newly restored Library will provide visitors and researchers with a deeper insight into church history and theology, inspiring new generations to engage with their relationship with the Christian faith.”

“We welcome all those across London and the globe to come and visit the Library and learn more about one of London’s best preserved 18th century interiors.”