Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Printing
Magna Carta
Leonardo da Vinci's Notebook
Historical Documents
Early English Literature
Shakespeare's First Folio
Later English Literature and Musical Manuscripts
The British Empire built its greatest monuments out of paper. It's through literature that
England has made her lasting contribution to history and the arts. These national archives
of Britain include more than 150 million items. A copy of every publication in the UK and
Ireland is sent here. It's all housed on 380 miles of shelving in the deepest basement in
London.
But everything that matters for your visit is in the delightful Sir John Ritblat Gallery
and an adjacent room containing the Magna Carta. We'll concentrate on a handful of doc-
uments—literary and historical—that changed the course of history. Start with these top
stops, then stray according to your interests.
Orientation
(See “North London” map, here .)
Cost: Free ( £ 5 suggested donation); admission charged for some special exhibits.
Hours: Mon-Fri 9:30-18:00, Tue until 20:00, Sat 9:30-17:00, Sun 11:00-17:00.
Getting There: From the King's Cross St. Pancras Tube station, exit to Euston Road, turn
right, and walk a block west to 96 Euston Road, where you'll see a humble brick
building dating from 1998. Euston Tube station is also nearby. Buses #10, #30, #59,
#63, #73, and #91 (among others) also stop nearby.
Rotating Exhibits: Exhibits change often, and many of the museum's old, fragile
manuscripts need to “rest” periodically in order to stay well-preserved. Even some
of the major items I describe here could be napping out of view (likely candidates
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
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