Readers back campaign to return bible to Salisbury

Dozens of Independent readers have rallied to save an exquisite 13th-century bible crafted for Salisbury Cathedral nearly 700 years ago.

- HOLLY EVANS

This comes just a day after Lisa Nandy, the culture secretary, praised the campaign to bring the Sarum Master Bible back to its historic home, calling it an example of “our country at its best”.

The Bible is one of only six manuscripts attributed to the Sarum Master, a renowned medieval artist known for his illuminated vellum pages produced in his Salisbury workshop. The campaign, led by Friends of the Nations' Libraries (FNL), seeks to raise £90,000 within 90 days to acquire the manuscript from a private collector.

Yesterday, the Rothschild Foundation made a generous donation through Dame Hannah Rothschild. A spokesperson for the foundation said: “The Rothschild Foundation is delighted to support our nation’s literary and bibliographical heritage by contributing to the campaign to return this magnificent 700year-old bible to the place where it was created.”