Lincoln Cathedral - The World's Tallest Building for Over Two Hundred Years

Religion has been responsible for some of the greatest buildings in Britain. London would be severely diminished if it no longer had St. Paul's Cathedral and Westminster Abbey, and cities such as York, Durham, Canterbury and Salisbury owe much of their fame and reputation to the fact that they are homes to wonderful cathedrals.

In days gone by, religious leaders held considerable power, and it was because of this reason that Henry VIII carried out the dissolution to curb the threat that he felt the church held over the monarchy.

These days, religious buildings, whether they be restored and in every day use, or whether they be ruins, left just as they were in Henry VIII's time, form the backbone of the British tourism industry, and one particular religious building that dominates its locality is Lincoln Cathedral.

Once described as “the most precious piece of architecture in the British Isles and roughly speaking worth any two other cathedrals we have”, Lincoln Cathedral dominates its locality in a way that few other buildings can match.

It is the seat of the Bishop of Lincoln, and it is suggested that work commenced originally in about 1088, and carried on for some considerable time, with periods of rebuilding required on several occasions. Taking its position opposite the newly constructed Lincoln Castle, it is constructed of local Lincolnshire limestone, and despite its historical ups and downs, it is suggested that the arches to the west front may date back to the time of the original construction.

The historical ups and downs that I refer to include a fire in 1141, and even an earthquake in 1185, enough to make any self respecting insurance company run for cover. From then on the construction of the cathedral appears to have been a case of two steps forward and one step back, with the experimental nature of the Gothic style resulting in the collapse of the cathedral's central tower in 1237. This was described by commentators of the time as “a great setback”, which is perhaps a slight understatement.

The central tower was built to its present height in the early fourteenth century, and as a result the cathedral was said to be the tallest building in the world until about 1549. From then onwards to this day, it has been subject to a continuing programme of maintenance and improvement, and subsequent generations have added the wonderful carved screen, the 14th century misericords, the Wren Library and the Duncan Grant frescoes.

Bishop Hugh was one of the witnesses to the signing of the Magna Carta by King John at Runnymede in 1215, another indication of the power held by the clergy. As a result, one of the four remaining copies of the Magna Carta is in the ownership of the cathedral and sits these days in Lincoln Castle.

Lincoln Cathedral played a part in helping returning air crews in the Second World War. There were many squadrons based in the county and the cathedral, being such an unmissable landmark, was a marvellous way for the aircraft to get their bearings on the return journey. It has also been used as a film setting, particularly in the Da Vinci Code and The Young Victoria, where it doubled as Westminster Abbey.

At the time that the spire of the cathedral was allegedly the reason that the cathedral was the tallest building in the world, it stood at 525 feet. These days the tallest building in the world is currently the Burj Khalifa in Dubai, which stands at 2,722 feet, the best part of five times taller!