England Guide
The West Midlands and the Peak District
Mappa Mundi and Chained Library Exhibition
Opening time: April– Oct Mon– Sat 10am–4.30pm, plus May– Sept Sun 11am–3.30pm; Nov– March Mon– Sat 10am–3.30pm, but some closures for maintenance in Jan
Price: £4.50
Address: New Library, Cathedral Close
Website: www.herefordcathedral.org
The New Library was purpose built for the Mappa Mundi and Chained Library Exhibition, which begins with a series of interpretative panels that lead to the Mappa, displayed in a dimly lit room. Dating to about 1300, and 1.58 x 1.33 metres in size, the map is quite simply remarkable. Drawn in inks on a sheet of vellum, it is indeed a map (as we know it) in so far as it suggests the general geography of the world – with Asia at the top and Europe and Africa below, to left and right respectively – but it also squeezes in history, mythology and theology.