The Northern Poetry Library, which boasts the largest collection of post-second world war poetry in England outside London, is moving to a new location at its home in the Northumberland town of Morpeth. 

The library, which has over 15,000 volumes, including first editions, signed copies and poetry periodicals, is reopening early in August at The Chantry in Bridge Street. It was previously on the upper floor of the local library.

The Northern Poetry Library was set up in 1968, and celebrated its 25th anniversary in 1993 with a festival that included readings by Simon Armitage, Carol Ann Duffy, Sean O‘Brien, Liz Lochhead, Michael Donaghy, and Peter Porter. In 2008 it was badly hit by floods, when it lost a large part of its stock of poetry magazines. 

An exhibition, Storehouse of Words, telling the story of the poetry library can be seen at Woodhorn museum in nearby Ashington until 6 November.