To give it its full name - The Cathedral Church of the Blessed Virgin Mary of Lincoln- became even more famous for being a setting in the Tom Hanks blockbuster film “The Da Vinci Code”.

It was the tallest building in the world for over 200 years (1300-1549). The Bishop of Lincoln was one of the original signatories to the Magna Carta, and one of only four original copies now resides in nearby Castle.

It was William the Conqueror who ordered the first cathedral to be built in Lincoln, in 1072. A Bishop by the name of Remigius built the first Cathedral on the present site, finishing it in 1092, but around fifty years later, most of that building was destroyed in a fire.

It is the 3rd largest in Britain (in floor space) after St Paul's and York Minster, being 484ft by 271ft. It is Lincolnshire's largest building, and until 1549 the tower was the tallest medieval tower in Europe. At one point in its history during the 1500’s, it was reputed to be the tallest building in the world.



In one of the ‘towers’ there is “Great Tom”, a quarter-hour striking clock which was installed in the early 19th century, and today, there are thirteen bells in the south-west tower, two in the north west tower, and five in the central tower (including Great Tom).

It has had a colourful history in terms of damage to it. Over the years, it has caught fire, parts of it have collapsed and parts blow down in the wind. As a result, there have been centuries of rebuilding, restoration and improvements resulting in the current magnificent building.



One of the more famous stone carvings within is the Lincoln Imp. There are many stories of the legend surrounding the imp, the most famous of which being an angel turning the mischievous imp to stone when he started throwing stones at the angel.

There is an annual production of Handel's Messiah at Christmastime as well as a Christmas Fair.



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