Hereford's Mappa Mundi features in new BBC series. (From Ledbury Reporter)

Hereford's Mappa Mundi features in new BBC series.

4:20pm Monday 18th January 2010

• Print
• Email
• Share
• Comments(0)

HEREFORD Cathedral’s famous Mappa Mundi will feature in the biggest arts series ever to be commissioned by the BBC.

The Seven Ages of Britain will consist of seven one hour episodes starting at the end of January and will be presented by David Dimbleby.

The programmes will explore Britian’s greatest art and artefacts of the last 2000 years and the hugely ambitious series will feature the Mappa Mundi in the second programme in the series on February 7 at 9pm on BBC1.

The Mappa Mundi is a medieval map drawn on a piece of vellum which is regarded as one of the outstanding treasures of the medieval age. It reveals how 13th century scholars interpreted the world in spiritual and geographical terms.

The programme uses lighting and smoke machines to show the cathedral and map in a dramatic way.

“It was a real privilege to get to film so close to such an important artefact,” said series producer Jonty Claypole.

David Dimbleby said: “Seven Ages of Britain was an exhilarating quest. The television camera offers a spectacular view of some of our most precious national treasures.”

He said the programmes told the story of Britain’s history over 2,000 years through the art we have created in both good times and bad.

“It looks at our extraordinary past through the arts, both as objects that have played a decisive part in events and as marvels of their age.”

The first episode in The Seven Ages of Britian series is on Sunday, January 31, at 9pm.

• Print
• Email
• Share
• Comments(0)