Friday 20 March - Saturday 5 December 2026
Living Water: Poetry, Art and the Fight for Clean Rivers
Monday - Friday 9am to 6.30pm (last entry 6pm)
Saturday 9am to 4.30pm (last entry 4pm)
Sunday closed
Entry is FREE and OPEN TO ALL. No booking required.
Forthcoming Closures: Cambridge University Library and the Living Water exhibition will be closed over Easter (Friday 3 to Monday 6 April inclusive).
‘Without living water, we die.’
These stark words from Anglo-Irish artist Barrie Cooke reflect his alarm at the growing pollution of the Irish rivers and loughs he loved. A leading expressionist painter, Cooke drew constant inspiration from the natural world and from his friendships with major 20th-century poets, including Seamus Heaney, Ted Hughes and John Montague.
This exhibition uncovers a significant archive of letters, manuscripts and artworks that offers fresh insight into their creative dialogue across five decades. At its heart lies the shared landscape that sustained them, rivers that became both artistic touchstones and warnings of environmental decline.
Living Water is a partnership with Pembroke College, Cambridge and is curated by Dr Mark Wormald, Fellow in English at Pembroke College and award-winning poet.
Some of the artworks and manuscripts in the exhibition reference death, nudity and the objectification of women.
Also on show are works by acclaimed artist Susan Derges, inspired by the rivers and landscape of Devon. Visitors are invited to sit, pause, perhaps read a poem, while they contemplate these human-sized works which trace the presence and flow of water.
The exhibition continues at Pembroke College
Visitors are invited to enjoy both parts of this exhibition, which is collaboration between Cambridge University Library and Pembroke College. For the next part of the free exhibition visit the Exhibition Room at Pembroke College. The exhibition is open Tuesday to Saturday from 2.30-4.30pm (closed Sunday and Monday). The entrance to the Exhibition Room is located across the road from Pembroke College's Porter's Lodge.
Living Water: Beyond the Riverbed
Discover the strange and ancient source of Barrie Cooke’s earliest inspiration in the landscape of Ireland’s County Clare and his poet friends’ response to it, as well as the passion for Irish pike and salmon he shared with his family.
This exhibition includes sexually explicit materials.
Read more on the Pembroke College website.
Plan your visit to the Library
To ensure you have an enjoyable and safe visit to our exhibition at Cambridge University Library, we have provided some visitor information below. Click on the sections to expand. For any other queries, you can contact the library by telephoning 01223 333000.
Q. Getting here
Cambridge University Library, West Road, Cambridge CB3 9DR
Visit our contact page for information about travelling to us by bike, road or public transport. Please be aware there is no space for coaches or minibuses on site.
Q. Visiting information
Our exhibitions are free and booking is not required. If you would like to support the work of Cambridge University Library when you visit, you can make a suggested donation of £5 per visitor at our donation point in the Entrance Hall, or donate online here.
The Library’s exhibition is in two parts. Part One is in the Exhibition Centre (around 45 minutes’ visit time) and Part Two is inside the working area of the Library along the North & South Galleries (around 25 minutes’ visit time). You will be asked to sign in and be given a visitor lanyard to see Part Two.
Whilst visitors of any age are welcome, if you are bringing people aged 17 and under, you may want to plan how to engage them during the visit. Under-18s must be accompanied by a responsible adult during their visit. Please see the section, ‘Visiting with children (age 17 and under) or adults at risk’ below for further information.
At busier times, our Entrance Hall team may pause entry to both parts of the exhibition.
Q. Accessibility
A large print guide and magnifying sheet are available in the Exhibition Centre.
There are three Blue Badge parking spaces in our front car park.
There is step-free access to the Exhibition Centre and Part Two of the exhibition and the Tea Room.
Single-occupancy and accessible toilets and baby-change facilities are available in the Exhibition Centre and throughout the Library building.
Find full details including photographs here: Accessibility and disabled library users.
Q. Guidelines for groups
If you are visiting with a group of people, please read this guidance to ensure that your visit is as easy and enjoyable as possible.
There is no fee for self-led group visits, and booking is not required. If you would like to support the work of Cambridge University Library when you visit, you can make a suggested donation of £5 per visitor at our donation point in the Entrance Hall.
We are unable to accommodate groups of more than 20 people at one time. If your group is larger than 20, please stagger your visit.
Our exhibitions and public areas have been designed and are maintained as safe spaces for all our visitors. We can't complete risk assessments on your behalf; group leaders may wish to visit the exhibition before bringing a group to help plan the day and identify any requirements and risks.
The exhibition will be open to other visitors during your visit. Please let us know at events@lib.cam.ac.uk if this presents a difficulty for your group, and if there are any vulnerabilities or additional needs we can do our best to accommodate.
Visiting with children (age 17 and under) or adults at risk
Whilst visitors of any age are welcome, group leaders bringing people aged 17 and under may want to plan how to engage them during the visit
Groups of children or adults at risk must be accompanied by adults aged 18 or over who will take full responsibility for the safeguarding of individuals in the group.
Please provide the following ratio of adults to children:
- 1:6 for ages 4 to 8
- 1:8 for ages 9 to 12
- 1:10 for ages 13 to 17
Guided group visits
Curator tours and other events related to the exhibition will be advertised in the What’s On programme.
School groups and community organisations
If you are visiting with a school group or a community group of any size, our Participation Team would love to hear from you in advance at participation@lib.cam.ac.uk. We may be able to connect you with other opportunities.
When contacting us, please give us the following information:
- the name and telephone number of your organisation
- the date and time you would like to visit
- the number of people visiting
- if it’s applicable, the number and age range of visitors aged 17yrs and under and the number of adults accompanying the group
- the name of the group leader and a contact number that can be used on the day of the visit.
Commercial groups
If your organisation charges members for the visit – such as travel agencies, University of the Third Age, art groups, tour operators, summer schools, EFL groups and more - we class this as a commercial group.
Commercial groups needing any support with a visit should contact events@lib.cam.ac.uk.
Q. Food and drink
Exhibition visitors are welcome to enjoy refreshments in our Tea Room, which serves barista coffee, hot and cold drinks, sandwiches, paninis, snacks and cakes daily (Mon-Fri 9am to 3pm and Sat 9am to 2pm).
Please do not consume food or drink in the exhibition or working areas of the Library.
Q. Bags and luggage
To access the North & South Galleries and the Tea Room, please leave your bags in our free locker room. You are welcome to take coats through.
Please note that we are unable to store large luggage items.
Q. Filming and photography
Filming and photography are not permitted in the Living Water exhibition.
Q. Assistance animals
The Library welcomes service animals such as guide dogs. Requests to bring an Emotional Support Animal (ESA) into the University Library will be considered on a case-by-case basis.
Q. Using the Library
If you want to use our reading rooms and collections, find out how to register for Library membership on our website www.lib.cam.ac.uk/register.