In these videos Dr Christopher Monk explores the scribal practices in Textus Roffensis.

Once the monastery at Rochester was established by Bishop Gundulf towards the end of the eleventh-century, it was very important to the bishop and the monks to build up a good library, for a library reflected the status of a cathedral; and since Rochester could trace its history right back to the year 604, it was time to signal its importance through its collection of books. Textus Roffensis contains a detailed, and evolving, library catalogue. Books listed include works by Jerome, Ambrose, Gregory the Great and Bede. To expand the library, it was necessary for new copies to be made of important texts. So this meant that a number of the Rochester monks would have been busy as scribes.

Textus Roffensis is written on vellum – calfskin. Goatskin and sheepskin were also used in the medieval period, though they are inferior as a writing surface; these are usually referred to as parchment, though sometimes this term is used to refer to all prepared animal skins.

The making of the Textus Roffensis, from the production of the vellum and ink to the scoring of the lines on the folios.

The scribal practices of Textus are explored further by Dr Christopher Monk in the following video.

Videos produced during the Hidden Treasures, Fresh Expressions Project. With thanks to the Heritage Lottery Fund and the University of Manchester.