After working in Manchester City Centre and passing John Ryland’s library on a daily basis for the past 18 years I’d never been tempted to go in, after all it’s just a library, zzzzzzzz!
How wrong was I!?
The John Rylands Library is absolutely stunning. If you love architecture this should be top of your list, every nook and cranny is packed with detailed stonework, and that ceiling, amazing!
I’ve seen online that Harry Potter fans love to visit due to it being a bit like a Mancunian version of Hogwarts, “alright r kid, fancy a game of quidditch kerby?”.
If you’re into books, the library has one of the world’s best collections of rare books and manuscripts, including a piece of the oldest known copy of the Bible.
The building was gifted to Manchester and its people by Enriqueta Rylands in memory of her late husband John.