Online resources for medieval manuscripts

Bringing our medieval manuscripts to life

In November 2018, we launched The Polonsky Foundation England and France 800-1200 Project. This ground-breaking collaboration between the British Library and the Bibliothèque nationale de France digitised a total of 800 medieval manuscripts from our two collections. The British Library’s curated website, Medieval England and France, 700–1200 now includes its own downloadable list of all 400 British Library manuscripts that were featured in the project, in spreadsheet format and as a PDF. This list can be accessed from the website’s About page.

An author portrait of St Dunstan writing at a desk, holding a quill pen and knife, with a background made of gold leaf

An author portrait of St Dunstan: Royal MS 10 A XIII/1, f. 2v

The bilingual site (available in both English and French) also offers our readers a wealth of resources on the early medieval period, including:

Six broad themes covering art, history, science, religion, making manuscripts, and medieval manuscript collections today.
30 articles on a variety of subjects, from medieval science and maths to early medical knowledge, bindings, and monastic libraries.
148 collection items, providing short introductions to some of the most stunning manuscripts digitised during the project.
Ten people pages, focusing on a selection of the major figures and authors active in England and France during the Middle Ages, from Bede and Anselm of Canterbury, to Emma of Normandy and William of Malmesbury.
A video series that explores all the steps needed to make a manuscript, narrated by Patricia Lovett MBE, as well as two additional videos discussing scribal culture and the role of law in early medieval England, featuring Professors Julia Crick and Nick Vincent.
Two animations based on accounts of the crane and the whale from an early medieval bestiary (Harley MS 4751).
A glossary that defines important terms relating to medieval culture and art.
An overview of the project itself and the collaboration between the British Library and Bibliothèque nationale de France.