Inside the world鈥檚 largest Chained Library
Discover the thousand-year-old secrets and medieval manuscripts, unlocked, at Hereford Cathedral. The Chained Library is home to more than 1,500 items.
Discover the thousand-year-old secrets and medieval manuscripts, unlocked, at Hereford Cathedral. The Chained Library is home to more than 1,500 items, some even older than the building itself.
The books are kept secure by a 17th-century system of locks and rods, with chains attached to the front covers. Unlike regular libraries, there is no Dewey Decimal system, and books are kept with their spines facing the walls, to make it easier to take out books with the dangling chains.
Alongside Hereford Cathedral librarian Jennifer Dumbleton, Andrew Nash discovers how the building holds texts that are over 1,000 years old, from all over the country. Discover how many feature classically ornate medieval lettering, with some incredibly tiny typefaces, all preserved to keep this history alive for hundreds of years to come.
Image credit: Ash Mills/Hereford Cathedral
