Books, books and more books in the Bodleian

Tuesday, 23 September 2008 18:47

Water and rubbish disposal today. Fortunately College Cruises have both facilities so it was a quick reverse and tie up on the other side of the canal!

So we have moved today! We are now moored further back towards the lock, nearer the chiming clock of the church and the station fiddle yard! Therefore a little noisier but hey we lived with a chiming church clock for 11 and half years ands that was a Westminster chime. The one here only does the hours! As for trains - we like them!

After lunch we walked into the City to visit the Bodleian library. If you love beautiful architecture, history and books it is a winning combination. We took the long tour and it was fascinating.

the Divinity School on the ground floor was the University's first examination room until the 19th century. I wouldn't have been able to concentrate on my exams for looking at the ceiling  - it is beautiful and the whole room is a master piece of Gothic architecture. The ceiling has 455 bosses.

 
Also on the ground floor is  a 17th century Parliament House - used for 300 years as a place for "Convocation and Congregation". Including the Parliament of Charles 1 during the Civil War.


The tour took us upstairs into the Library. Wow, if you love books it is heaven. So much history, so much antiquity. However it is a modern library and used mainly for research. I spotted a computer terminal at one of the reading desks - surrounded by books written by very clever people who never dreamed of our "Brave New World" Yet despite all our technology we still have to back to the written word to learn and really experience history.


In the Old Schools Quadrangle The Tower of the Five Orders is built displaying the five orders of architecture - Tuscan, Doric, Ionic, Corinthian and Composite.


James the 1 had to top the lot with his statue of his gift of 2 books. One to the University, one to fame.

The books still come - the library is entitled to have all the books that are published, although I am pretty sure they are a little picky!

They have so many books that they have overflowed into all areas of the Bodleian building, across the road into the New Bodleian, The Radcliffe Camera and underground stores below, both linked by tunnels to the old building with conveyor belts to carry the ordered books. Amazing! They also have books in a big house outside Oxford and are looking to build a modern repository nearby.

I think you may be bored by now but if you want to know more here is a link to Wikipedia for you to follow, and follow, and follow!

>>> View Next Post		View Previous Post <<<