An enthralling new National Lottery funded exhibition opened at Winchester Cathedral this week after almost ten years of planning.
Kings and Scribes: The Birth of a Nation will transform our understanding of the English nation, highlighting some of the nation’s greatest treasures and revealing Winchester’s pivotal role in shaping early English history.
Thanks to a grant of £11.2 million from The National Lottery Heritage Fund and donations from other generous supporters, a permanent new three-level exhibition space has been created in the South Transept to enable all visitors to enjoy, discover and appreciate Winchester Cathedral’s remarkable history and heritage.
One of the nation’s greatest treasures, the Winchester Bible, is displayed on the ground floor in A Scribe’s Tale. This magnificent manuscript is the largest and finest of all surviving 12th-century English bibles, renowned for its sheer size, rarity and astonishing artistry.
In the South Transept Triforium, The Birth of a Nation takes visitors on an intriguing journey of discovery to unearth the secrets concealed within the Cathedral’s unique mortuary chests, believed to contain the remains of pre-Conquest kings and bishops. This enticing exhibition will continue to evolve over time, deepening our knowledge of the founding kings and queens of England.
Decoding the Stones is the second major exhibition in the Triforium, unlocking the mysteries of the Cathedral’s unique architecture, which has been created, destroyed and remade over centuries of struggle and Civil War.
Finally, visitors can explore monastic life at Winchester Cathedral Priory on the Mezzanine level and step inside the remarkable 17th-century Morley Library with its outstanding collection of books.
Kings and Scribes: The Birth of a Nation takes visitors on a journey through over 1,000 years of history, from the birth of the English nation to the present day. Entry to Kings and Scribes: The Birth of a Nation is included with admission to Winchester Cathedral.
Visit the Cathedral website to find out more, at: winchester-cathedral.org.uk.
