Clare College Fellows’ Library is due to re-open this month for use by Clare Fellows and visiting researchers, after being out of operation for five years.

The interior design of the Fellows’ Library, with bookcases around the walls, was created by James Essex in 1729. The Library  incorporates volumes of historic and cultural significance and many items with a special connection to the history of Clare through former Masters and Fellows of the College. The collection includes books and manuscripts from the 16th to 19th Century, and some earlier material, including a collection of medieval manuscripts.

The collection was packed and moved into specialist storage facilities in 2018, ahead of building and refurbishment work in the North Range of  Old Court.

During the summer of 2023, 5,700 volumes were returned to their original home. Click here to read more about the project to restore the Fellows' Library and the conservation of the collection.