Denomination: Anglican
Building began: 1072
About the cathedral:
Lincoln Cathedral has had an eventful history, being destroyed or seriously damaged at various times by fire, earthquake and storm. Before the collapse of the cathedral’s central spire in 1549 it was, for a time, the tallest building in the world, supplanting the Great Pyramid at Giza in Egypt. The cathedral contains the shrine of ‘Little St Hugh’, a nine-year-old boy whose body was found in a well in 1255 and who was said to have been martyred by Jewish extremists.
Did you know?
In his early 20s, the great composer William Byrd’s first professional appointment was as organist of Lincoln Cathedral. He appears to have offended the chapter’s puritan sensibilities with over-intricate music, and his pay was briefly suspended, but he left on good terms and continued to compose for the cathedral choir.