Lincoln Cathedral

Yesterday I visited the splendid Cathedral of the Blessed Virgin Mary in Lincoln - the building has itself Anglo-Saxon roots - this site was chosen because it was far from the areas subject to Viking plunders, but was mainly remodeled under the Normans and in 1092 the first Cathedral was built, in the same style of the near Castle. In 1141, under Alexander the Magnificent (Bishop of Lincoln) the Cathedral was again remodeled gaining a more Gothic aspect. In 1185 an earthquake caused major damage to the Cathedral and St. Hugh, whose shrine was (and is still partly) in the Cathedral mainly reconstructed it under a different sort of Gothic style - where flying buttresses and pointed arches made it possible to have large stained glass windows. Here the Magna Charta was also sealed and the Cathedral which became legend has been the tallest building for more than 300 years! Here, I attended Choral Evensong and had a great spiritual experience. The Verger, John Campbell also kindly offered to show me the vestry, where I saw some splendid copes and the first mitre to be worn in England after the Reformation! I hope you will enjoy my pictures, in which I hope you will feel some of the holiness I felt.

 Swans are St. Hugh's symbol.

 The first mitre to be used in England after the Reformation!

 William Morris!

 The Cathedral Imp! Read its story here: "There are several versions of the story however all of them share the same basic plot: Satan sent the imp to Lincoln Cathedral to cause trouble. The imp carried out his orders, and began destroying the Angel Choir. When an angel appeared to prevent him causing further mayhem, the imp jumped up onto the pillar and threw rocks at the angel. In order to put a stop to his mischievousness, the angel turned the little imp to stone.Some versions of the imp story date to the 14th century and are contemporary with the construction of the Angel Choir. The presence of the imp in the Cathedral acts as a moral symbol and is a constant reminder that ultimately good will triumph over evil."
From the Cathedral's website.