This article begins by considering the achievement of the Les cartulaires volume of essays (1993), particularly in launching a field of inquiry. It reflects on how this field has developed since the early 1990s, especially what has characterised the research and the kinds of themes and questions historians have explored. It situates the latest work on cartularies within the broader development of the field, such as long established interests in cartulary function, typologies, codicology and scribes, and the influences of editorial practices, as well as emerging ideas about reading cartularies. The article highlights how varied and multi-dimensional all of this work has been, and addresses some questions that arise from this. As a result, it offers fresh ways to understand and conceptualise the field.