The Long Library at Sissinghurst is a delight and a frustration. So beautiful and so chock full of things I want to look at, but none of it is allowed off the shelves and most of it is behind a velvet rope and defies attempts at photographic documentation. Our week in the Priest’s House gave us after-hours access to the gardens, but alas, not to Vita’s study nor the library. And unlike grander, stately homes that have lots of very old books, the books in Vita and Harold’s library are of a vintage that is more interesting to me. It was a really good thing that the books were secured on the shelves with what looked like fishing line because more than once I reached to take a volume off the shelf.
I’m not going to caption any of these photos. I put them up for you to click on and zoom in and explore on your own.
hogglestock 
Great Photos! What a pity you couldn’t put them in an alphabetic order! ;)
And yes, this is a real readers’ library and nothing too ‘grand’.
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Thank you for sharing all these wonderful images – I think the restriction against touching the books here would kill me!!
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Have to agree!!
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Thankyou for sharing all your wonderful photos from Sissinghurst. I visited in 2014 and loved the day I spent there. It’s been marvellous to revisit vicariously. I don’t know if I’ll ever return (I’m Australian), but it was a magic day.
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I’d have to have hands tied behind my back. Are they organised in any particular way. Good thing for the fishing line. I could see you rearranging the shelves.
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I enjoyed these photos very much.Thank you for sharing.
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I am looking at the shelves and finding titles I want to order. Oh I am in trrrrouble! ;O)
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I’m guessing if they weren’t restricted, they would have walked off by now, but I’m surprised they are actually tethered to the shelves. And, of course, I wonder how often they’re cleaned.
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