The Book Collection
For the Egerton family, the Library was an academic as well as a recreational resource.
The main library contains approximately 5000 volumes, with a further 4,000 volumes kept elsewhere within the house. The earliest printed book is a copy of ‘Vitruvius Iterum et Frontis a Jocundo Revisi Repurgatique Quantium ex Collonatione Licuit’ (Florence: 1513).
A watercolour of the Library, painted by John Chessel Buckler in 1820 shows a plainer design to the current décor after Mansion alterations had just been completed. After the ceiling had been damaged, the plasterwork was replaced with the present design in the 19th century.
Amongst the treasures in the Library collection is a set of four volumes of Japanese woodblock prints dating from the 19th century which were probably bought back from Japan by Wilbraham, Earl Egerton, who visited Japan in the 1850’s. These beautiful albums show vivid images of Japanese culture, including prints of Samurai, wrestlers, battle scenes and Japanese “beauties”.
The Library has a huge variety of subject matters and languages – French, German, Swiss, Russian, Japanese to name a few. Designed for comfort and utility, the library is south facing with five huge windows which take advantage of the natural light and commands spectacular views across the Cheshire countryside to Bosley Cloud, some 13 miles away.
Recently, a 17th century notebook in the collection by Nehemiah Wallington was digitised by John Rylands Library Centre for Heritage Imaging and Collection Care.
Learning more about our Library
In collaboration with Keele University and the National Trust, a PhD researcher at Keele is currently researching the social life of the Tatton Park Library. The PhD examines the evidence of cosmopolitan influences on the development of the library, the place of the library in public and private sphere, and the domestic and regional circulation of books.
One fascinating branch of this research is examining the traces of reader engagement left in books by the Egerton family. This includes note on the endpapers of books, marginalia, and underlining important passages. A pop-up exhibition in October 2024 focused on showcasing the engagement of Wilbraham (1781-1856) and Elizabeth (1777-1853) Egerton. If you missed seeing the book in-person you can find out more in this blog post: Did Anyone Actually Read the Books in the Country House Library?
If you'd like to learn more about the Romantic Literature that forms part of our extensive collection, click through the links below. These digital exhibits were produced by students taking a Romantic literature module as part of the English Literature programme at Keele University.
They attended a workshop at Tatton Park Library, led by the Mansion and Collections Managers, Carolyn Latham and Vicky Rowbotham, where they received insights into how their degree skills could be utilised in the heritage and leisure sectors.
Byron, 'Stanzas to the Po'
Wordsworth, 'There was a Boy'
Smith, 'On the Departure of the Nightingale'
Wordsworth, 'Daffodils'
Smith, 'On the Departure of the Nightingale'
Smith, 'Sonnet V'
Wordsworth, 'To a Sexton'