Lincoln Cathedral

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Lincoln Cathedral - Exterior

A Masterwork from Every Angle

LINK TO LINCOLN CATHEDRAL INTERIOR PHOTO PAGE

NEW PHOTOS FROM 2007

LINK TO CHAPTER HOUSE FRESCO MYSTERY

BACK TO WALES, CENTRAL ENGLAND AND EAST ANGLIA

The Old English Cathedrals

Heading towards Lincoln from the South, it is abundantly clear that the Cathedral is something special - many things special we were to find out. For centuries this has been the centre-point of the largest church diocese in England covering much of its richest land, and there is nothing ordinary about any of the great double transept building.

There has been a See of Lincoln since 678, but only after the Norman managed reorganization of the church, in the wake of 1066 and all that, was the decision taken to build a (non-monastic) cathedral and castle (below) in Lincoln itself, to look after the huge see which now contained no less than 10 English Counties. Sadly much of this 1072 cathedral building was damaged by a fire in 1141, followed by more serious damage in an earthquake in 1185, but work got underway in 1192 on a bigger gothic replacement.

Early gothic architecture was always pushing the boundaries of structural safety, and in the late 1230s the recently renewed central tower collapsed. Undaunted, the Dean and Chapter immediately started work on a replacement central tower, and two western towers. Over the course of the 1300s all three towers were heightened and given tall spires. In fact the main tower / spire, rising to 525ft / 160m, was the tallest structure in the world for a couple of centuries until the spire was blown down in 1548. The present spire of Salisbury Cathedral is "only" 404ft / 123m.

Later, the western spires were removed by a more safety conscious 1800s society, leaving the beautiful classical profile that is there today. At 271ft (83m) the main tower is still the tallest cathedral tower in Europe and not far short of Italy's two great civic campanili in Venice (318ft / 98M) and Siena (286ft / 88m). Canterbury Cathedral's famous Bell Harry Tower is a modest 235ft / 72m high.

Lincoln Cathedral possesses one of four surviving copies of Magna Carta, which is displayed in the nearby castle when it is at home. The other copies are in the British Library (2) and Salisbury Cathedral Chapter House. The Lincoln Magna Carta travelled to Brisbane for Expo '88 - it was unkindly said in the southern states of Australia that it was the only time that a Magna Carta exhibition had made a loss.

LINK TO PARADOXPLACE PAGE ON MAGNA CARTA

Link to British Library Magna Carta page

Link to Wikipedia Magna Carta page

Even the evening view of the towers from the castle car park makes it clear that there is something special in store

And entering the west precinct through the medieval gate confirms this. The cream coloured panels to the right of the door are protecting the friezes underneath.

The west front includes narrative stone friezes dating from the mid 1100s (which were originally brightly painted). On the right of the door are Old Testament stories and on the left New Testament. In 2005 all were hidden from view for restoration, but we borrowed a couple of printed images to show what they are like. On the left above are Adam and Eve, and on the right Noah in his ark. And in the middle, for fun, is Masaccio's take on the same Adam and Eve episode, painted in a fresco cycle in the Brancacci Chapel in Florence 300 years later (in 1427), and which is widely regarded as one of the works that kicked off Italian Renaissance painting.

Link to an 1100s Spanish stone relief version of the Adam and Eve story in Santiago de Compostela Even More Adam and Eves

In the morning, the eastern aspect of Lincoln Cathedral is equally beautiful. The Cathedral, although sometimes referred to as a minster (Anglo Saxon for monastery), was never a monastery, one reason why the chapter house (below) lies to the north, and the building sits on top of a hill, with no juxta positioning with a good river to use as a water supply (upstream) and sewer (downstream).

The exterior walls are bristling with mostly empty alcoves which once would have held statues (brightly painted) such as this (Edward and Eleanor ?), whilst the roof corners still offer weathered delights such as a bagpiper and flying pig..

A double sundial for all round accuracy during the morning hours (when the sun is shining)

Sadly, it was a misty rainy day when we returned in 2007 to capture (amongst other things) the Lincoln Pilgrim, so here in addition is a postcard from a sunnier time! You can find him high up on the east end of the windows around the chapel where the bookshop is.

He is in fact one of three spandrel people , of whom Lucifer the Devil angel seems to be the most exalted.