Hereford Cathedral Churches

Hereford Cathedral is full of surprises and houses many treasures.

A Cathedral has stood in Hereford since Saxon times. The present building contains some of the finest examples of architectural excellence from Norman times up to the present day, including the Romanesque Nave, the beautifully restored Shrine of St Thomas of Hereford in the North Transept, the ancient South Transept and the award-winning twentieth-century New Library Building.

Throughout the summer you can join our Cathedral Guides to explore the interior and exterior of the building (at stated times each day).

Since its official opening by H.M. Queen Elizabeth II on 3 May 1996, the Mappa Mundi and Chained Library Exhibition at Hereford Cathedral has become an internationally acclaimed visitor attraction, entertaining people of all ages and nationalities, many of whom travel great distances specifically to view the unique treasures on display.

Housed within Hereford Cathedral's fifteenth-century south west cloister and the award-winning New Library Building, the exhibition reveals the secrets of the Mappa Mundi, the largest and most elaborate complete pre fifteenth-century world map in existence, using models, original artefacts and the latest interactive computer technology.

The Library & Archives date back to 1100, since when many thousands of manuscripts, books and other articles have been accumulated.