The Hereford Gospels is one of the great treasures of Hereford Cathedral and a landmark of early book production in Britain. Made in the early ninth century, it has often been regarded as one of the few surviving manuscripts from early Wales. However, in this lecture a new scenario for its production is suggested - made at or for Hereford Cathedral as a focal point at the shrine of a martyred royal saint, King Ethelbert of East Anglia, beheaded near Hereford by King Offa when he came to wed his daughter in 794. As the 'book of the high altar' of the new cathedral that grew there, the Gospel book would have played a part in establishing Hereford as an important border town, welcoming pilgrims and traders and playing a significant role in relations between England and Wales.

Michelle Brown is Professor Emerita of Medieval Manuscript Studies at SAS, University of London, and was formerly the Curator of Illuminated Manuscripts, British Library. She is a leading authority on book production in medieval Britain and Ireland and its historical context. Her many books include The Lindisfarne Gospels: Society, Spirituality and the Scribe (2003) and Art of the Islands: Celtic, Pictish, Anglo-Saxon and Viking Visual Culture, c.450-1050 (2016).

Join Michelle in College Hall on Wednesday 13 April, 2.30pm, for this talk. 

Tickets for a place are available from the Hereford Cathedral website.