For those who set eyes on Deansgate's The John Rylands Library for the first time, 'library' might not be the first word that comes to mind. This masterpiece of Victorian Gothic architecture looks more like a castle or cathedral. When John Rylands died in 1888, he was one of Manchester's most successful industrialists with a personal fortune of £2.75million. The library was commissioned in 1890 by his wife Enriqueta Rylands in memory of her late husband. This world class collection includes the oldest known piece of the New Testament, the St John Fragment. Other treasures of the vast, varied collection include magnificent illuminated medieval manuscripts and a 1476 William Caxton edition of Chaucer's Canterbury Tales. Public Transport: The easiest way to reach the library from Piccadilly, Oxford Road and Victoria railway stations is via the free Metro-Shuttle buses. The number 1 Metro-Shuttle runs from the forecourt of Piccadilly station every few minutes. Alight on John Dalton Street at stop WX, turn left onto Deansgate and you will see the library in front of you. The number 2 Metro-Shuttle runs from Victoria station every ten minutes. Alight on Deansgate, opposite the library.