Chained Books in Hereford Cathedral Library

The touch of history and treasure of wisdom The rarity and structure of the books in this unique place fascinates people.

Alright, Chained Library What are the secrets and stories behind it? Let’s step into this fascinating world.

Hereford Cathedral Library dates back to the 17th century.

Books from the Middle Ages to the 18th century, security measures It was chained as. This practice was made to reduce the number of books and prevent them from being stolen. Hereford Cathedral Library It was also valid for .

In 1582, during the reign of Elizabeth I, a team investigating the cathedral decided that the collections were poorly preserved, and thus Chained Library was established. Oxford University Vice-Chancellor Thornton was the only person who chained the books.

Although you see chained books in many parts of the world, Hereford Cathedral Library has a special place.

Hereford Bibles

229 hand embroidery the library with the chained book; It is the largest library that has survived intact with its bars, locks and all chains.

Most of the books in the library date back to 1100. Written in Anglo-Saxon character Hereford Bibles These Bibles date back to 780, making them the oldest volumes in the library. 1055 from fire the only surviving works.

How do they chain the books?

The layout in chained libraries is slightly different from what we are used to. Normally we see the spines of books, but here the books are from one end of the front cover Since they are chained, their backs are facing backwards, so we see the opposite. Since there is no need to turn the books upside down, the chains do not get tangled.

In this way, the books are not damaged and the books are taken directly from the shelf. It can be read at the table. Also, the chains are long enough to read at the table, but you can’t go far from the bookshelf.

If your way to Hereford If so, you can travel to the past by visiting this library.

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