Hereford Cathedral Library, Cathedral library in Hereford, England.
Hereford Cathedral Library is a cathedral library in Hereford, England, holding around 1500 volumes dating from the 15th to the 19th century. The books are still fixed to their shelves with chains, rods, and locks, forming one of the largest surviving chained libraries in the world.
The library was founded in the 12th century, making it one of the oldest church libraries in England. In 1611, Thomas Thornton, a canon who also served as vice-chancellor of Oxford University, organized the chained system that visitors still see today.
The Hereford Gospels, an Anglo-Saxon manuscript from the 8th century, is one of the oldest surviving texts in England and can be viewed in the library today. It gives visitors a direct connection to early Christian life in the region.
The library is in the New Library Building near Palace Yard and opens to the public Tuesday through Thursday. The building has wheelchair access, so visitors with mobility needs can enter without difficulty.
Each book in the chained library is attached so that it can be pulled to a nearby reading desk but cannot leave the room. The chains are long enough to allow comfortable reading without removing the book from its shelf position.
The community of curious travelers
AroundUs brings together thousands of curated places, local tips, and hidden gems, enriched daily by 60,000 contributors worldwide.
