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The Law Library
Photo: Simon Cobb · CC0 · tap to enlarge
Grade I listed building · Historic England

The Law Library

Listed Grade I since 195373 years · Grade I is the top 2.5% of England’s listed buildings
PPublicCACity Centre conservation areaSMOver a scheduled monument1953Listed
DirectionsOfficial list entry ↗
About

About The Law Library

The Law Library is one of 22 Grade I listed buildings in Exeter and about 9,341 in England. It was among the first 176 buildings in Exeter to be listed, on 29 January 1953. It stands in the City Centre conservation area, designated in 1968, and over a scheduled monument, Law Library, Cathedral Yard. Within 400 metres are 13 more Grade I buildings and 167 other listed buildings.

HERead the official list entryHistoric England’s description of the building, its history and why it is listed · List entry 1104063↗

Grade I is for buildings of exceptional interest, about 2.5% of all listed buildings in England. Listing protects the whole building, inside and out: changes need listed building consent from the council.

Visit

Make it a walk: 5 listed buildings in about 10 minutes

Exeter · about 0.3 miles on foot, as the crow flies

DirectionsWalk the tour in Google Maps
  1. 1The Law LibraryStart here
  2. 2The Bishop's PalaceGrade I · 0.1 mi on
  3. 3Iron FootbridgeGrade II* · 0.1 mi on
  4. 4Royal Devon and Exeter HospitalGrade II* · 0.1 mi on
  5. 5Presentation of St Mary Convent SchoolGrade I · 0.1 mi on
Farther afield
St Pancras ChurchGrade II*0.2miCivic Hall Higher MarketGrade II*0.2miGeorge's ChapelGrade I0.2mi2-6, Barnfield CrescentGrade II*0.2mi67, South StreetGrade II*0.2mi1, Upper Paul StreetGrade II*0.2mi
Around it

47 more listed buildings within 150 metres

Grade I and II* ones open their own page; Grade II ones open the official list entry.

I8,9 and 9A, Cathedral Close10 mII*Notaries' House10 mII*Devon and Exeter Institution13 mIIRoad Surface Leading from Southernhay to Martin's Lane25 mI10, Cathedral Close30 mII*6, Cathedral Close34 mII11, Cathedral Close37 mIIWall of No 1544 mII12 and 13, Cathedral Close45 mI5, Cathedral Close48 mII*4, Cathedral Close58 mII*15 and 15A, Cathedral Close59 mII*3, Cathedral Close64 mII*2, Cathedral Close69 mIIEntrance Gate to Southernhay72 mIMol's Coffee House75 mICathedral Church of St Peter78 mIIRemains of St Catherine's Chapel78 m
Show the other 29
IChurch of St Martin79 mIIRemains of St Catherine's Almshouses81 mIIStatue of Richard Hooker84 mII14, Cathedral Close85 mIIWall of No 1491 mII*1 and 2, Catherine Street94 mIIThe Ship Inn102 mIThe Bishop's Palace103 mIIRoyal Clarence Hotel103 mIINo. 16, CATHEDRAL YARD107 mIINo. 17, CATHEDRAL YARD110 mII18, Cathedral Yard117 mII*Iron Footbridge119 mII11-13, Martin's Lane121 mII*Church of St Stephen125 mII10A, Southernhay West129 mII39, High Street130 mII*40, High Street132 mII*41 and 42, High Street133 mII*13-24 Southernhay West135 mII43, High Street136 mII44, High Street137 mII45, High Street139 mII*46, High Street141 mII*The Cloisters141 mII47, High Street142 mII*Church House146 mII22, Cathedral Yard147 mII*The Cloisters147 m
More like it

Grade I public buildings near Exeter

Within 25 miles, with a photo.

AlmshousesMoretonhampstead · 11 mi away
Tiverton CastleTiverton · 13 mi away
Holcombe CourtHolcombe Rogus · 18 mi away
Totnes GuildhallTotnes · 21 mi away
Totnes MuseumTotnes · 21 mi away
Totnes CastleTotnes · 21 mi away
Guild HallSouth Molton · 24 mi away
The Bishop's PalaceExeter · 0 mi away

Questions about The Law Library

Is The Law Library listed?

Yes. The Law Library is listed Grade I on the National Heritage List for England (list entry 1104063), first listed on 29 January 1953.

Can you visit The Law Library?

It can be seen from the street; whether you can go inside depends on its owner.

Is The Law Library in a conservation area?

Yes, the City Centre conservation area, designated in 1968.

© Historic England 2026. Contains Ordnance Survey data © Crown copyright and database right 2026. Check an entry on Historic England’s website before relying on it. Photos: Wikimedia Commons and Geograph, credited above, copied to our own server. Map tiles © OpenStreetMap contributors.

Sources: Historic England, National Heritage List for England (listed buildings, scheduled monuments, registered parks and gardens, battlefields, World Heritage Sites), October 2026, inside the ONS 2022 built-up-area boundary · Historic England conservation areas (supplied by local planning authorities; October 2026). All under the Open Government Licence v3.0.

Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Contains HM Land Registry data © Crown copyright and database right 2026. Contains OS data © Crown copyright and database right 2026 (ONS boundaries). Northern Ireland: Source: NISRA; contains Land & Property Services data and Ordnance Survey of Northern Ireland information, © Crown copyright, licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Scotland: contains National Records of Scotland data, Registers of Scotland data and SEPA data, © Crown copyright / © SEPA 2025, licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.