Worcester Cathedral has beautiful windows, haunting cloisters and a Norman crypt. But one of its gems is hidden away, behind a closed door. Walk up close and there’s nothing to see, just wood and stone – until you go in. Climb up the stairs, a spiral staircase of 39 steps. There, at the top, there’s an open space with beams above, a Bishop’s throne and a narrow tiled passage. And finally, the library, a long thin room, with even more beams and a rose-red carpet. The space is surprisingly vast and filled with books.
Worcester Cathedral as a Seat of Learning
Worcester Cathedral was founded in 680 but the present building dates from 1084. Once one of the major monastic cathedrals in England, and an important centre of learning, Worcester’s Benedictine monks studied a variety of subjects at university. The cathedral library still holds some of this material, as part of its collection of medieval manuscripts.
Medieval Manuscripts
The medieval manuscripts (just under 300) date mainly from the 10th to 15th centuries, and include many academic books produced in the monastery or collected by the monks. These were used in their studies at the University of Oxford (Gloucester Hall, now Worcester College), from the 13th century onwards, and cover subjects such as theology, maths and medicine. Generous amounts of white space around the margins allowed for note taking by students.
The Music Collection and Edward Elgar
The library includes a considerable music collection including works by William Byrd, Thomas Tomkins (a former Worcester Cathedral organist), George Handel and Edward Elgar. It also includes the Worcester Antiphoner (dating from around c1230) and the Worcester Fragments, small pieces of music dating from the 13th century, used as part of the binding process in other medieval documents. Around 40% of the country’s 13th century music is held in this library.
Edward Elgar
Particularly significant locally is composer Edward Elgar, who was born in Lower Broadheath, just outside Worcester. His father ran a music shop and was a violinist and piano tuner. Both he and Elgar’s mother encouraged their son’s musical development. Part of the library's collection includes a signed book of music dated 15 March 1917 and Elgar’s baton.
Early Printed Books (incunabula – meaning ‘in the cradle’)
Also part of the library collection are some 45 books from the first years of print (1450-1500). These include examples from William Caxton’s printing workshop and early printed fragments of the Canterbury Tales.
Printed Books (1501 onwards)
The printed books number around 5,600 items (from 1501 to the 1860s) and contain some key individual collections, such as that of Bishop Prideaux, Bishop of Worcester. Also interesting is Prior More’s 16th century journal, which provides a unique insight into life in that period. William More was the second to last prior and was accused by one of his monks of giving alms, meant for the poor, to relatives and servants. He was also said to have protected a monk who criticised the King’s divorce and Anne Boleyn. More resigned from his office and retired comfortably, a wise move, but one which he may have been persuaded into, to allow a successor more amenable to the King.
Worcester and the Civil War
Other items of interest include the cathedral’s Royal Charters, medieval infirmary rolls from Worcester Cathedral priory and medieval medical manuscripts. There's also a collection of seventeenth century books and archive material relating to the civil war era, including letters from Charles I. Charles corresponded with Royalist supporter Bishop Prideaux between 1641 and 1644 and visited Worcester a number of times during the Civil War years.
Other collection items of interest include:
- The oldest known copy of Bede’s 10th century work on the language of poetry (Bede’s De Arte Metrica), most likely written at Canterbury and sent to Worcester
- King John’s will, the only surviving medieval royal will in the UK, written in Latin. The King John collection includes relics found when his tomb was opened in 1797, such as part of a shoe and part of his shroud
- A copy of the New Testament in English (a John Wycliffe version), from the 15th century. Such translations predated the Tyndale and the King James versions, and were very radical for their time. Considerable effort was made to suppress copies. This particular volume belonged to Bishop Prideaux and was used in the installation of Deans of Worcester
- A copy of Rudimentum Novitiorum, 1475: a history of the world including very early printed maps
Worcester Cathedral Archives and the History of the Library
There are 19,000 archive documents, dating from the Middle Ages to the present day. The archive collection includes artefacts as well as written material and illuminates the cathedral’s history. The library itself has its own interesting history, having started life in the cloisters, and resided in both the Chapter House and Edgar Tower as well as in its present location. And in the 17th century, Roger Mainwaring, Dean of Worcester, saved thousands of medieval documents he found in the Tower from damp and neglect.
Today the library is awash with history and alive with stories. Famous visitors include Samuel Johnson and Samuel Pepys, who left his autograph. There are even hints of a secret tunnel, hidden behind a closed-off door. But the best stories are there on the shelves – in the books.
Visiting the Library
Tours of the library are available at £5 for adults and £2.50 for children. To book a tour, or to discuss undertaking research, call 01905 732922. Please note that access is via a spiral staircase which is not suitable for people with a heart condition.
Sources
- Grundy, Mike. Walkabout Guide to Worcester [leaflet]
- Worcester Cathedral [leaflet]
- Worcester Cathedral Library [two leaflets]
- Worcester Cathedral Library & Archives [website]
- Visit to Worcester Cathedral Library & Archives, 9 Dec. 2011
Ellie Stevenson - Ellie writes on history, travel, careers & the arts. Her novel, Ship of Haunts (http://tinyurl.com/cyryp2m) is on Amazon as an ebook.
