Access the collections

Printed books 

Reporting of books to the English Short Title Catalogue (ESTC) is ongoing. Currently c.12,500 of Longleat’s books have been reported.  

Approximately 7,300 printed books have been reported to the Heritage of the Printed Book (HPB) database covering Continental books printed prior to 1830.  

Longleat’s incunabula (books published before 1501) are recorded on the Incunabula Short Title Catalogue (ISTC).  

Manuscripts 

Currently, the only publicly available, and not entirely accurate, listing of Longleat’s manuscripts is the microfilm of the 1864 catalogue viewable at the Bodleian.  

PDF scans of microfilms of certain Longleat manuscripts be purchased. These are supplied for research for purposes only. 

Music manuscripts 

Details of our 118 music manuscripts can be found on the Repertoire international des sources musicales (RISM) database. 

Catalogues and accounts of holdings describing some sections of the archive collection are publicly available. In addition, microfilm editions of parts of the collections are available to view at certain public institutions, or to purchase. 

Researchers are always expected to access microfilm editions if available.  

Catalogues and accounts of holdings 

The 19th century catalogues covering many our the best-known collections, including the Carteret Papers, the Coventry Papers, the Devereux Papers, the Dudley Papers, the Portland Papers, the Prior Papers, the Seymour Papers, the Talbot Papers, the Thynne Papers (first series) and the Whitelocke Papers (collectively known as ‘the named collections’) can be viewed at the National Archives Discovery website . 
 
For a general account of the archive holdings at Longleat see volume 11 of the Royal Commission on Historical Manuscripts' Guides to Sources for British History: Principal Family and Estate Collections Family Names L-W, London, The Stationery Office, 1999, pp.113-116. 
 
For an overview of the Glastonbury Abbey records at Longleat see Kate Harris and William Smith, Glastonbury Abbey Records at Longleat House: A Summary List (Somerset Record Society 81, 1991).  

Microfilms 

The majority of our best-known collections, collectively known as the ‘named collections’, have been published in microfilm editions which are held in certain public collections, including the Institute of Historical Research, London [IHR]; the British Library [BL] and Cambridge University Library [CUL].  Please always check availability and access terms prior to your visit. 

Carteret Papers (IHR)  

Coventry Papers (IHR, BL) 

Devereux Papers (IHR)  

Dudley Papers (Vols. I-V only) (IHR, CUL) 

Portland Papers (IHR, BL, CUL) 

Prior Papers (IHR, CUL) 

Seymour Papers (IHR, CUL) 

Talbot Papers (IHR)  

Thynne Papers (first series) (IHR, BL, CUL) 

Whitelocke Papers (IHR, CUL) 

To purchase copies of the editions or single reels from the above collections apply to the publisher: Microform Imaging Ltd. To check the availability of microfilm editions before applying to the publisher search their catalogue here. 

Microfilms of the Glastonbury Abbey court and compotus rolls are available at Somerset Archives and Local Studies, Taunton. 

If you have an enquiry about a work of art, object or document, please email the Longleat House Collections team at collections@longleat.co.uk.

Before contacting us, please ensure you have read any relevant sections on this page. This will help us deal with your enquiry as promptly as possible.

Please note that we receive a high volume of enquiries, which we respond to in order of receipt. We aim to reply to enquiries within three weeks where possible, but we are not always able to respond fully within that timeframe.

The Longleat House Collections are privately maintained and do not receive public funding. The Collections team will allocate up to 30 minutes to assess and answer your enquiry. If your request requires further time, charges may apply.

If you would like to request images of Library & Archives materials for research purposes, please complete part I of the Image Request Form. Charges apply. 

Publication or distribution of images requires permission and charges apply. If you wish to request an image reproduction license, please complete part II of the Image Request Form.

If you wish to visit to access a specific work of art or object from the Longleat House Collections, please contact us to confirm if it is on display. We will advise on the most appropriate means of access from the options below. 

Tours 
The majority of works of art and objects in the Longleat House Collections can be viewed on self-guided or guided tours of Longleat House. Please visit the House Tours page for further information.  
 
Private Chattels  
Tours of the Private Chattels take place on select dates between 1 April and 31 October annually. Please see the Private Chattels Tours page for further details. 
 

Appointments 
Access to view works of art and objects that are not normally on display is strictly by appointment only.  

Advance booking is required for any appointment, and we are not always able to accommodate visitors on the day of their choice. 

There is a minimum charge of £25 (plus VAT) for an appointment, payable in advance. We reserve the right to vary the fee, depending on the staff time involved. 

To request an appointment, please submit a Researcher Registration Form. 

Photography 

Photography for non-commercial use is permitted on self-guided and guided tours of Longleat House. Use of tripods or flash is not allowed. 

No photography is permitted on Private Chattels Tours. 

To request permission to take photographs during an appointment to view a specific work of art or object, please indicate this on your Researcher Registration Form. 

If your enquiry requires a visit to Longleat, a reader appointment may be made. The Reading Room is open from 1 April – 31 October annually.  

Opening hours: Mondays and Tuesdays between 10.15am - 1.00pm and 2.15pm - 5.00pm.  

Fees:  
Half-day: £50 (plus VAT) 
Full day: £80 (plus VAT) 

Advanced enquiry and appointment booking is required. 

Please note: 

• A clear research need must be articulated to access Library & Archives materials. The Collections team reserve the right to not permit access where this is lacking.  

• Items may not be made available for conservation reasons.  

• The number of items available to view in one reader appointment is at the discretion of the Collections team.  

• Uncatalogued materials are not available to readers.  

• Where an appointment is appropriate, a completed Researcher Registration Form is required along with a letter of introduction if consulting manuscripts.  

• Two forms of ID (one photographic) must be presented at your reader appointment. 

In preparing for a reader appointment, please familiarise yourself with our Reading Room Rules. 

Photography 
If you would like to take photographs during a reader appointment, please complete the Photography Declaration section of the Researcher Registration Form. Charges apply and photographs may be taken solely for research purposes and may not be published without prior permission. For further details see the Images section.

If your enquiry requires further research, we offer a limited research service. 

Utilising our Archives and other resources, the Collections team can undertake research on various topics, from family and house histories to research for television programmes 

Fees:  
Private research: £35 per hour (+ VAT) 
Commercial research: £80 per hour (+ VAT) 

Please note: 

• This service is restricted to a maximum of three hours per enquiry. 

• Complex enquiries may take up to six weeks to respond to fully. 

• Please specify as clearly and precisely as possible the information that you are seeking, and include any relevant information which might assist us.  

• If your enquiry concerns a house or land, please enclose an accurate map.