Lincoln Cathedral

Lincoln Cathedral, dedicated to St Mary, is a magnificent Gothic building which, together with the adjacent castle, dominates the city. It dates from the 11th century and is believed to be the fourth largest cathedral in area in Britain (after Liverpool, St Paul’s and York Minster). For almost 240 years, from 1311 to 1549, when its central spire collapsed, Lincoln Cathedral was the tallest building in the world. Highlights include many ornate carvings, two enormous rose windows, the treasury and medieval libraries – and stories. Notable burials/tombs include Katherine Swynford, mistress then wife of John of Gaunt, the cadaver tomb of Bishop Richard Fleming and the entrails of Eleanor of Castile, first wife of Edward I. The Cathedral also owns one of four surviving copies of Magna Carta from 1215, on display in a secure facility in Lincoln Castle.