Lincoln

Architecture.

The ancient British town occupied the crown of the hill beyond the Newport or North Gate. The Roman town consisted of two parallelograms of unequal length, the first ex tending west from the Newport gate to a point a little west of the castle keep. The second parallelogram, added as the town increased in size and importance, extended due south from this point down the hill towards the Witham as far as Newland, and thence in a direction due east as far as Broad street. Returning thence due north, it joined the south-east corner of the first and oldest parallelogram in what was afterwards known as the Minster yard, and terminated its east side upon its junction with the north wall in a line with the Newport gate. This is the oldest part of the town, and is named "above hill." After the departure of the Romans, the city walls were extended still farther in a south direction across the Witham as far as the great bar gate, the south entrance to the High street of the city; the junction of these walls with the later Roman one was effected immediately behind Broad street. The "above hill" portion of the city con sists of narrow irregular streets, some of which are too steep to admit of being ascended by carriages. The south portion, which is named "below hill," contains the principal business premises and the railway stations.

Lincoln cathedral contains the earliest purely Gothic work extant, as well as every style from the simple massive Norman of the central west front and the later Norman of the west doorways and towers onward through all the Gothic styles, of each of which both early and late examples appear. The build ing material is the oolite and calcareous stone of Lincoln Heath and Haydor, which has the peculiarity of becoming hardened on the surface when tooled. Formerly the cathedral had three spires, all of wood or leaded timber. The spire on the central tower, which would appear to have been the highest in the world, was blown down in 1547. Those on the two western towers were removed in 1808.

The ground plan of the first church, adapted from that of Rouen, was laid by Bishop Remigius in 1o86, and the church was consecrated three days after his death, on May 6, 1o92. The west front consists of an Early English screen (c. 1225) thrown over the Norman front, the west towers rising behind it. The earliest Norman work is part of that of Remigius; the great portals and the west towers up to the third storey are Norman c. 1148. The upper parts of them date from 1365. Perpendicular windows (c. 1450 are inserted. The nave and aisles were com pleted c. 1220. The transepts mainly built between '186 and 1235 have two rose windows, that in the north is Early English, and that in the south Decorated. The first has contemporary stained

glass. These are called respectively the Dean's Eye and Bishop's Eye. A Galilee of Early English work forms the entrance of the south transept. Of the choir the western portion known as St. Hugh's (1186-1204) is the famous first example of pointed work; the eastern, called the Angel Choir, is ornate work com pleted in 1280. Perpendicular canopied stalls fill the western part. The great east window, 57 ft. in height, is an example of transition from Early English to Decorated c. 1288. Other features of the interior are the Easter sepulchre (c. 1300), and the organ screen of a somewhat earlier date. The great central tower is Early English as far as the first storey, the continuation dates from 1307. The total height is 271 ft.; and the tower con tains the bell, Great Tom of Lincoln, weighing over 5 tons. The dimensions of the cathedral internally are—nave, 252 X 79.6x So ft.; choir, 158X 82X 72 ft.; angel choir, which includes presbytery and lady chapel, 166X 44X 72 ft.; main transept, 220 X 63X 74 ft.; choir transept, 166X 44X 72 ft. The west towers are 206 ft. high.

The buildings of the close that call for notice are the chapter house of ten sides, 6o ft. diameter, 42 ft. high, with a vestibule of the same height, built c. 1225, and therefore the earliest of English polygonal chapter-houses, and the library, a building of 1675, which contains a small museum. The episcopal palace con tains work of the date of St. Hugh, and the great hall is mainly Early English. There is some Decorated work, and much Perpen dicular, including the gateway. It fell into disuse after the Reformation, but by extensive restoration was brought back to its proper use at the end of the i9th century. Among the most famous bishops were St. Hugh of Avalon (1186-120o) ; Robert Grosseteste (1235-1253) ; Richard Flemming (1420-143 I ) founder of Lincoln College, Oxford; William Smith (1495-1514), founder of Brasenose College, Oxford; William Wake (17o5-1716); and Edmund Gibson (1716-1723). The see covers almost the whole of the county, with very small portions of Norfolk and York shire, and it included Nottinghamshire until the formation of the bishopric of Southwell in 1884. At its earliest formation, when Remigius, almoner of the abbey of Fecamp, removed the seat of the bishopric here from Dorchester in Oxfordshire shortly after the Conquest, it extended from the Humber to the Thames, eastward beyond Cambridge, and westward beyond Leicester. It was reduced, however, by the formation of the sees of Ely, Peterborough and Oxford, and by the rearrangement of diocesan boundaries in 1837.