Behind the Books Lit & Phil tours are back!

Our famous tours are completely free and all led by our team of award-winning guides. Tours will follow a prescribed route to comply with social distancing guidelines. Find more info by clicking the button below.

Our grade 2* listed building welcomes visitors into a wonderful space which has witnessed two centuries of dynamic local history. We think it’s important that young people feel welcome and comfortable in this space, and we’d encourage you to consider arranging a visit for your class. You can do this by sending in our visit request form here. Visits are free of charge.

We offer a range of graded activity sheets which will structure your visit. The information you supply in the visit request form will indicate the most appropriate sheet for your group. If requested, a member of our volunteer team will assist on the day, but the structure of the visit is determined by the activity sheet and designed for teacher supervision. Teachers’ notes will be available to prepare for an arranged visit.

The sheets cover general information relating to the history of the society, as well as including more specific references, for example to famous scientific inventions, other items in the Society’s collection, local dynasties etc. They also offer possibilities for optional follow-up work in the classroom. If a class has a particular agenda, the request form invites you to outline specific reasons for your visit.

We look forward to seeing you!