Hereford Cathedral, England
The home of a famous chained library and Mappa Mundi
The beginnings of Hereford Cathedral
Hereford has had a cathedral since the 8th century, although the Saxon building that contained the remains of St Ethelbert (a murdered king of the East Anglians) was destroyed in 1055. Bishop Robert de Lotharingia built a small chapel on the site in 1079, but very little of this remains. It was not until Bishop Reinhelm came along (bishopric 1107–1115) that anything substantial in the way of a cathedral was built, in the Romanesque style, although that was by no means the end of the story.
Early developments
Over the centuries, many additions and alterations have been made to the original structure. Among these was the Lady Chapel at the east end, with a crypt beneath it, added in the early 13th century. Hereford is the only English cathedral in which the crypt is immediately beneath the Lady Chapel. It was designed to be reached from outside the building as well as inside.
The north transept was the work of Bishop Peter d’Aigueblanche who died in 1268. Aigueblanche had come from Savoy, and the remodelled transept was distinctly continental in style with its tall windows topped by triangular arches. There is a marked contrast with the…
