Parker Library

Unlike on the nearby lawns, all are welcome to wander through Parker Library, the jewel of Cambridge’s Corpus Christi College. That doesn’t mean everybody will be able to read its books. Matthew Parker, college master in the mid-1550s, bestowed upon it an incredible collection of literature: an illustrated Bible from the 1100s; the earliest copy of the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle from the ninth century; the oldest bound book (Latin gospels created in 597 in Italy and sent to convert the British), to name a few.

These treasures remain snuggled under this warm roof, as Parker’s gift came with strings attached. He was so determined to keep his collection together, he stipulated that if any book was lost, the rest would be given to Gonville & Caius College, down the road. To this day, representatives gather every few years to ceremonially inspect his collection, while the librarians at Gonville & Caius lick their lips.

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