The oldest map of the then known world that exists in the world today was made in Hereford in 1300. It’s to be found in Hereford cathedral in a much more recently added display space near the entrance to the chained library - itself a fascinating collection of ancient books. Unsurprisingly, perhaps, the map shows predominantly ecclesiastical centres with Jerusalem at the centre, surrounded by Europe, The Middle East, Asia and Africa.
On the way in, we passed the nameplate Mappa Mundi, which was carried by two diesel locomotives, in turn. Class 31 No. 31405 bore the name from 1991 to 1997, followed by Class 47 No. 47767 between 2003 and 2009, as the accompanying plaque makes clear.
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