Cosin in the Cloud

Meet the bishop, his building and his books! In this online exhibition we share the story of John Cosin’s life and how he came to create his iconic library.

Online exhibition showcasing the activities of our artists-in-residence. Learn all about Lady Kitt and Sofia Barton, and how they’ve been using art to share Cosin’s Library with local residents.

Online school resources for teachers aimed at KS3 and KS4 students are available on our website. Follow the links to download the pre-planned sessions on archaeology and archives in the Civil War.

In this online tutorial, you will learn how to read and transcribe documents written between 1500 and 1800. You will discover what palaeography is, why it is useful, and what other skills you may need to understand historic documents. You will find lots of help, advice and exercises to get you started and you will have an opportunity to have a go at transcribing yourself.

Unable to make it to Durham to see Cosin’s Library in person? You can now visit us virtually and explore every corner of the room, including from the gallery which is not open to visitors. We are grateful for financial support by the Doyle Fund for the creation of the tour.

Ever wondered what the library might be have looked like before the gallery was added in the early nineteenth century? We have created a computer generated image based on what we know from archival research and how we think it might have looked based on other seventeenth-century interiors. We are grateful for financial support by the Doyle Fund for the creation of this historic recreation.

On this page, you will find digital collections relating to John Cosin and his library.