Draco Roffensis

COMMEMORATING 900 YEARS OF TEXTUS ROFFENSIS

Textus Roffensis is one of the most important Medieval manuscripts in England. It was written in Rochester in the 1120s by monks at the Priory of St Andrews.  Amongst its contents are the earliest English laws recorded dating all the way back to the 7th century. In 2022 Textus Roffensis was added to the prestigious UNESCO Memory of the World UK Register.

Draco Roffensis has been designed by our very own Wendy Daws. Made of gold, silver and copper foil sewn onto wire panels, it is suspended above the Nave in Rochester Cathedral allowing services and events to continue underneath.

Part of the dragon is also made from recycled materials from ‘Tape’ a recent exhibition at Chatham Dockyard by Numen/For Use. Quotes from Textus Roffensis are written on the tape allowing visitors to discover more about early Medieval England.

The dragon is covered in thousands of embossed golden scales decorated by visitors to Rochester Cathedral as well as local community, art and school groups. Artists from the Kent Association for the Blind are also very involved in the project.