Gothic: Lincoln, England Lincoln is a cathedral city and county town of Lincolnshire, England. Lincoln developed from the Roman town of Lindum Colonia, which developed from an Iron Age settlement. Lincolns major landmarks are Lincoln Cathedral, a fine example of English Gothic architecture, and Lincoln Castle, an 11th-century Norman castle. The city is also home to the University of Lincoln and Bishop Grosseteste University. Lincoln is situated in a gap in the Lincoln Cliff 141 miles (227 kilometres) north of London, at an elevation of 20.4 metres (66.9 feet) above sea level by the River Witham, stretching up to 72.8 metres (238.8 feet) above sea level in the uphill area around the cathedral. Lincoln Cathedral (The Cathedral Church of the Blessed Virgin Mary of Lincoln, or sometimes St. Marys Cathedral) is a cathedral located in Lincoln in England and seat of the Bishop of Lincoln in the Church of England. Building commenced in 1088 and continued in several phases throughout the medieval period. It was reputedly the tallest building in the world for 238 years (1311–1549). The central spire collapsed in 1549 and was not rebuilt. Lincoln Cathedral is highly regarded by architectural scholars; the eminent Victorian writer John Ruskin declared: I have always held... that the cathedral of Lincoln is out and out the most precious piece of architecture in the British Isles and roughly speaking worth any two other cathedrals we have. Remigius de Fécamp, the first Bishop of Lincoln, laid the foundations of his Cathedral in 1088, and it is probable that he, being a Norman, employed Norman masons to superintend the building ... though he could not complete the whole before his death. Before that, writes B. Winkles, It is well known that Remigius appropriated the parish church of St Mary Magdalene in Lincoln, although it is not known what use he made of it. In 1141, the timber roofing was destroyed in a fire. Bishop Alexander rebuilt and expanded the cathedral, but it was mostly destroyed by an earthquake about forty years later, in 1185 (dated by the BGS as occurring 15 April 1185). The 1185 earthquake was one of the largest felt in the UK: it has an estimated magnitude of over 5, with an EMS intensity of 7 estimated in certain locations. The epicenter of the earthquake is debated: some (Throsby, 1790; Mayfield, 1976; Beresford, 1987), think it may have been in Nottinghamshire, where it completely destroyed several villages. Others (Davison, 1931) estimate the epicenter was in the North Sea, as the quake was also felt in Norway. The damage to the cathedral is thought to have been very extensive: the Cathedral is described as having split from top to bottom; in the current building, only the lower part of the west end and of its two attached towers remain of the pre-earthquake cathedral. Some (Kidson, 1986; Woo, 1991) have suggested that the damage to Lincoln Cathedral was probably exacerbated by poor build quality or design; with the actual collapse most probably caused by a vault collapse. After the earthquake, a new bishop, Hugh de Burgundy of Avalon, France, was appointed. Known as St Hugh of Lincoln, he began a massive rebuilding and expansion programme. Rebuilding began with the choir (St. Hughs Choir) and the eastern transepts between 1192 and 1210. The central nave was then built in the Early English Gothic style. Lincoln Cathedral soon followed other architectural advances of the time – pointed arches, flying buttresses and ribbed vaulting were added to the cathedral. This allowed the creation and support of larger windows. The cathedral is the 3rd largest in Britain (in floor space) after St Pauls and York Minster, being 484 feet (148 m) by 271 feet (83 m). It is Lincolnshires largest building, and until 1549 the spire was reputedly the tallest medieval tower in Europe, though the exact height has been a matter of debate. Accompanying the cathedrals large bell, Great Tom of Lincoln, is a quarter-hour striking clock. The clock was installed in the early 19th century. There are thirteen bells in the south-west tower, two in the north-west tower, and five in the central tower (including Great Tom). The two large stained glass rose windows, the matching Deans Eye and Bishops Eye, were added to the cathedral during the late Middle Ages. The former, the Deans Eye in the north transept dates from the 1192 rebuild begun by St Hugh, finally being completed in 1235. The latter, the Bishops eye, in the south transept was reconstructed 100 years later in 1330. After the additions of the Deans eye and other major Gothic additions it is believed some mistakes in the support of the tower occurred, for in 1237 the main tower collapsed. A new tower was soon started and in 1255 the Cathedral petitioned Henry III to allow them to take down part of the town wall to enlarge and expand the Cathedral, including the rebuilding of the central tower and spire. They replaced the small rounded chapels (built at the time of St Hugh) with a larger east end to the cathedral. This was to handle the increasing number of pilgrims to the Cathedral, who came to worship at the shrine of Hugh of Lincoln. Between 1307 and 1311 the central tower was raised to its present height of 271 feet (83 m). The western towers and front of the cathedral were also improved and heightened. At this time, a tall lead-encased wooden spire topped the central tower but was blown down in a storm in 1548. With its spire, the tower reputedly reached a height of 525 feet (160 m) (which would have made it the worlds tallest structure, surpassing the Great Pyramid of Giza, which held the record for almost 4,000 years). This height is agreed by most sources but has been doubted by others. Other additions to the cathedral at this time included its elaborate carved screen and the 14th-century misericords, as was the Angel choir. For a large part of the length of the cathedral, the walls have arches in relief with a second layer in front to give the illusion of a passageway along the wall. However the illusion does not work, as the stonemason, copying techniques from France, did not make the arches the correct length needed for the illusion to be effective. One of the stone carvings within the Cathedral is the Lincoln Imp (see picture). According to 14th-century legend, two mischievous imps were sent by Satan to do evil work on Earth. After causing mayhem elsewhere in Northern England the two imps headed to Lincoln Cathedral, where they smashed tables and chairs and tripped up the Bishop. An angel appeared in the Angel Choir and ordered them to stop. One of the imps sat atop a stone pillar and started throwing rocks at the angel whilst the other cowered under the broken tables and chairs. The angel turned the first imp to stone, allowing the second imp to escape. The imp that turned to stone can still be found sitting atop his stone column in the Angel Choir.
Posted on: Sun, 12 Oct 2014 02:29:55 +0000
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