Worcester Cathedral has marked the new millennium by having its priceless collection of mediaeval manuscripts from the 10th Century published as a comprehensive catalogue.

The thousand-year-old documents form the second largest manuscript collection still held by an English Cathedral. In total there are 277 manuscripts - including the monks' how-to-do-it preaching manuals!

With manuscripts dating from the 10th to the 15th Centuries, and nearly 100 fragments from the 6th Century, the collection is considered hugely important.

The manuscripts give invaluable insight into life for monks in the pre-Reformation Cathedral Priory, when the Cathedral was a Benedictine monastery as well as the seat of the Bishopric.

They tell of the monks' education, intellectual interests and of how they practised their daily routine of prayer, meditation and communal worship.

Many of the monks studied at Oxford and the books record their names and lecture notes.

From the 13th Century the monks were enthusiastic preachers throughout the Diocese, and the Cathedral library contains extensive collections of model sermons.

The Catalogue of Mediaeval Manuscripts of Worcester Cathedral is published by Boydell and Brewer and is the first-ever comprehensive history of the mediaeval library.

It is also the culmination of seven years of research by Professor Rod Thomson, Emeritus Professor of History at the University of Tasmania.

"We're very grateful to Professor Thomson for this very important publication - it is a valuable addition to the library and will increase research by national and international scholars," said Canon Iain Mackenzie, Canon Librarian.

The Cathedral was due to mark the publication today, with a reception in the Chapter House at 6.30pm, following Evensong.