Thomas Plume’s Library was founded in 1704 under the terms of the will of Dr Thomas Plume, Vicar of Greenwich and Archdeacon of Rochester, who had been born in Maldon in 1630. He bequeathed to his native town his collection of some 8,100 books and pamphlets, to be kept in the building which he had constructed from the ruins of the old St Peter’s Church in the centre of the town, on the corner of Market Hill and the High Street.
The church building, which is owned by Maldon Town Council, still stands, very little changed, and still houses his books, kept on their original shelves, as well as his small collection of paintings. Although they may no longer be borrowed, books from the Library may be consulted by appointment during normal opening hours and the catalogue may be consulted online.
The Library and its Friends organise a number of events during the year, including the annual Plume Lecture.
CORONA VIRUS UPDATE: RE-OPENING
The Library is now open, by appointment only, during our normal opening hours (Tuesday-Thursday 2-4, Saturday 10-12).
We are also talking bookings for Heritage Open Day (12 September 2020) for tours of the Library and our exhibition on “Hidden Nature”.
Please telephone: 01621 854850, or email info@thomasplumeslibrary.co.uk
to book either:
- a 20-minute visitor tour (1-2 adults plus up to 2 children per tour); or
- a reader appointment for up to two hours.
Please comply with our safety procedures when asked, by using the hand sanitiser provided and maintaining a 2m distance from our staff.
If you feel at all unwell or have coronavirus symptoms, please defer your visit.
Opening Hours
Monday Closed Tuesday 2:00 PM — 4:00 PM Wednesday 2:00 PM — 4:00 PM Thursday 2:00 PM — 4:00 PM Friday Closed Saturday 10:00 AM — 12:00 PM Sunday Closed