#PhilipWilde

Saxton’s Atlas, which he dedicated to Queen Elizabeth II
1st September 2023
2 mins read

Library’s precious atlas charts a course through nation’s history

An incredibly rare copy of one of the first UK atlases ever created will be going on display at a library in Leeds. Containing 35 detailed, hand coloured maps of the counties of England and Wales, the fascinating book was created by the Yorkshire-born ‘father of English cartography’ Christopher Saxton in 1579 after getting…
Senior librarian Rhian Isaac in Kirkstall Abbey with Leeds Central Library's precious copy of the Missale ad usum Cistercienci.
30th June 2023
2 mins read

New chapter as Monks’ historic book returns to Kirkstall Abbey

A one-of-a-kind book has returned to the ruins of the historic abbey where it was diligently inscribed and studied by monks more than 500 years ago. The incredibly rare copy of Missale ad usum Cistercienci was printed in Paris in 1516 and is believed to have once belonged to the monks of Kirkstall Abbey…