Lincoln Cathedral: Explore A Hidden Gem

During a recent trip to England my husband and I, on the trail of Richard III and John of Gaunt, spent a few days in Lincoln. We hadn’t planned on staying more than a day, as we were on our way to the site of the Battle of Bosworth and later to York. We’d visited Westminster Abbey and St. Paul’s Cathedral, and weren’t expecting much from Lincoln in particular, besides a visit to the tombs of Katherine Sywnford and her daughter Joan Beaufort. But from the moment we reached the medieval heart of the city we knew this would be different. In fact, Lincoln was the unexpected highlight of our trip. We spent nearly two full days inside the walls of the cathedral.

York Minster and Westminster can be found at the top of the lists of most travellers interested in uncovering the hidden history of England – beyond the age of Henry VIII, backwards in time to the Norman Conquest, to the Vikings, Saxons, and Britons. These great cathedrals, famous for their architecture and the eternal resting places of England’s monarchs and history’s giants, are visited by thousands of people each year. As they enter the magnificent cathedral, having patiently waited their turn, they are directed through the cashiers; in Westminster the pay-to-view requirement is more subtly done. In York, a long row of tills bar your way from the choir and the medieval stain glass. If you choose, audio-tapes are provided to guide travellers through the nooks and crannies, over the graves of less known figures, to the highlights – Kings and queens, philosophers, writers and poets. Like zombies, tourists bump and flow from one tomb to another. Never pausing for too long, the recorded voice directing them onwards. “No pictures please.” “The gift shop is this way.”

While I do understand the necessity of charging a fee to maintain these important historical places, the manner in which it is done appears as a flagrant disregard for the spirit of reverence to which such a place deserves. Taking money inside of the church and maximizing efficiency by moving visitors quickly through the doors, in a clockwise fashion to the high alter, back around and through the gift store (also located within the walls) then out again to accommodate the high volume of visitors, strips the cathedral and it’s inhabitants of the slow contemplation of their significance in shaping our world. Though I enjoyed my visits to each, and can discuss the experience in further detail in a later hub, I was quite honestly broken hearted. Never more so than to sit in the crypt of St. Paul’s cathedral sipping on hot chocolate near the lost resting place of John of Gaunt – really a cafeteria in a crypt?!

Lincoln Cathedral was a welcome reprieve. From the moment your foot falls on the stone steps, and you pass through the giant wooden doors, the weight of the history hits you. It’s not oppressive but grand and enlightened. Unlike the others there were no line ups, no crowds. A small counter parallels the far left wall and two older ladies stand together happily conversing. They are there to take your money, but more obviously to welcome you with pride into their church, a place of worship for nearly 1000 years. You stand and chat with them for a few moments, there is no one standing impatiently behind you to rush you through. A single page booklet is handed to you and identifies where you may find some of the well known inhabitants of the church, but don’t miss the medieval library!

The Cathedral is nearly empty. Scant furniture may be found, though they hold regular services, and the choir can be heard practicing, their soft voices echoing off the ancient walls. Nothing obstructs your view of the ceiling and the giant chandeliers. In your imagination you can see priests and churchman hurrying along the passageways on the upper levels, or peaking out from behind pillars at the congregation below. The uneven stone speaks to you of the years of history. How many feet, and whose, have trodden on this stone and worn it in this way. Fires and earthquakes have laid the cathedral bare to the sky and exposed it to the elements.

A surficial wander through the church will take you to the tombs of some well known figures – Katherine Swynford, Joan Beaufort, and Eleanor of Castile three women whose deliberate and fortuitous actions shaped the English nation and world history. There is the shrine of St. Hugh, who advocated on behalf of the Jewish during the reigns of Henry II, John and Richard the Lionheart. A stroll through the N.E. transept, through the cloister and past the chapter house leads you to a tight winding staircase and into the medieval library, hidden away above the cloister. The room is dark with exposed beams and uneven wooden floors. Three dark wooden tables – dating to 1422, fill the ancient library. Chains dangle from the slanted tops, where precious books would’ve been tethered and churchmen of the past must have sat for long hours studying. This portion is smaller than it formerly was – once having extended further above the cloister -its safety eroded by time and it was closed. In the late 1600’s, following the restoration of the Monarchy, an addition was built on the medieval library. Designed by Christopher Wren, its Romanesque white walls, giant windows, and gold detailing stand in bright contrast to its predecessor. Its interior wall is lined floor to ceiling with ancient texts and manuscripts. But this only scratches the surface of Lincoln Cathedral. These are the obvious and tangible pieces of history. Lincoln has more to offer.

The Cathedral has played an important role in history. Some, such as the wedding of John of Gaunt and Katherine Swynford, or the presence of a surviving copy of the Magna Carta - signed and kept safe by the Bishop of Lincoln - have not left an obvious physical imprint. Others have. The west entrance, perhaps part of an earlier Roman wall or fortification, complete with arrow slits, may have been used as a battlement against Anglo-Saxon raids. Within the cathedral Stephan garrisoned his army while laying siege on the adjacent Castle where Maud withstood the attacks. Their confrontation was responsible for a fire that burned the cathedral roof, and the impetus for replacing it with stone, in the French style. In later years, Henry VIII, during the dissolution of the Monasteries and the reformation of the church, ordered Lincoln to be stripped of its riches. During the English civil war Cromwell overtook the cathedral his horses and men filled the nave, and - is it my imagination - or does the stone along the north wall appear damaged from the acidic puddles of horse urine? Any remaining wealth was stripped from the church; only a single brass artefact was left, hidden behind a screen. Little remains of the beautifully adorned walls, statues in the alcoves, and rich paintings. The great spires, marking Lincoln’s status as the highest building on earth, 160 meters, fell in 1548.

Though the magnificent gothic cathedral is no longer at it’s height of glory, as it may have been in 1399, it remains a treasure.  A day spent in the cathedral, or even two, will reveal only some of its wonders.  Take a tour into the bell-tower and see the medieval bells which still call to the citizens of the town. Tour the roof, for a gargoyle’s view out over Lincolnshire, and into the inner architecture of this 1000 year old structure. Search the carvings and engravings throughout the church and find amongst the roses, the face of an imp or a Green man, or a tragic frog impaled on his own sword. Larger than Westminster, much less ornate than St. Paul’s, and not as celebrated as York Minster, Lincoln Cathedral is worth the visit.  Like the foot-worn stone leading past Katherine’s tomb and out of St. Hugh’s choir, Lincoln has left a deep impression.