Reader M.P. who knows of my affinity for libraries mentioned this article ( BBC News – The curious tale of the stolen books) about a massive book theft at the Lambeth Palace Library, which is the principal repository of the documentary history of the Church of England.  Its collections have been freely available for research since 1610.  Peter the Great, who visited in 1698, is recorded as saying that nothing in England astonished him as much as Lambeth Palace Library; he had never thought there were so many books in all the world.

I plan on visiting the Library  which is open from 10am to 5pm on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Fridays and from 10am to 7.30pm on Thursdays.

Related articles

• Lambeth Palace retrieves stolen collection of extraordinary rare books (guardian.co.uk)
• Stolen rare books returned to Lambeth Palace library after 40 years (thetimes.co.uk)