Image courtesy of Dean and Chapter Worcester Cathedral

During the closed season at Compton Verney I revert back to volunteering at the Cathedral Library in Worcester (UK). Once a week I return to the magnificent “new” library (new because the books were moved from their former repository to their present room some time in the mid fourteenth century!). And here I indulge myself wholeheartedly, but with a purpose, believe me!

As volunteers in this magnificent place we are encouraged to research into the peculiarities, vagaries, and wonders of the collection. The cathedral library houses the second largest collection of medieval manuscripts in any UK cathedral (second only to Durham). Here, among the Saxon, Norman, medieval, and early-modern manuscripts, and the incunabula and early printed books, we roam free, searching for tales untold, reviving long lost memories. Our aim is to unlock some of the secrets of the place, and share them as best we can on the Cathedral Library’s blog site.

The cathedral librarian’s trust and generosity is such that some of us are free to follow our chosen lines of research, or merely let serendipity lead us by the hand. And in so doing the most revealing and intoxicating gems come to life.

Since December 2016 I’ve written three blogs for the library, ranging from the mysteries of fifteenth century printing, to the curious spectacles of the audit feasts at the cathedral. Here are links to my pieces (below), and there will be others over the next few weeks.

A Tale of Types: William Caxton in Worcester Cathedral Library

Worcester to York: A Road Much Travelled

Feasting and Finance: The Curious History of Audit Feasts at Worcester Cathedral

Please find the time to browse the other blogs too, and you too can wander through the marvellous world of Worcester Cathedral Library.

My thanks go to Dr. David Morrison, Librarian of Worcester Cathedral Library, for his generosity and support.