Friday, May 08, 2015

Five on Friday

Joining in this week with  Amy at Love Made my Home and Five on Friday.  Click on the link at the bottom of this post to find others who are joining in too.

Five more things from our visit to Lincoln, this time from the cathedral.  Just little snippets of interesting things to find there.


This was the view of the Cathedral from the Castle walls - it looked stunning and I love all the 'higgledy piggledy' roof tops in between.  After we'd been to the castle we visited the cathedral. Below are five things in the Cathedral that it is always interesting to look out for - well for me anyway!


1.  The Lincoln Imp - I always enjoy seeking out the Lincoln Imp, I always think I know where he is but it still takes ages to spot him, he is a mischievous creature and takes great delight in avoiding your eyes.  Here is a - link - to the legend of the imp


2.  The Investigator 
In the seaman's chapel is a model of Matthew Flinders's ship The Investigator in which he sailed in the 1790s to circumnavigate Australia.  It stands under a stained glass window which depicts the Australian/Lincolnshire connection.  In this window you can see Sir Joseph Banks, the botanist who sailed with Captain Cook and George Bass (after whom the Bass Straites were named) who sailed as ship's surgeon with Matthew Flinders.  Also in the window is Matthew Flinders seen anchoring The Investigator at Port Lincoln.  The Museum I worked at in Spalding had, at the time I worked there, a small gallery on the history of Matthew Flinders and I was able, as part of the research we did, to visit the archives and read some of his letters home from his voyages to his parents and to his fiance Ann Chappelle.  They were wonderful, poignant letters written sometimes as if he thought he wouldn't return for in those days travelling such long distances to unknown lands was a dangerous occupation.  George Bass disappeared on one such voyage and according to legend his mother would sit on the balcony of her home on Lindum Hill in the city of Lincoln looking out for his return.


3.  Carvings of King Edward I and his Queen, Eleanor of Castille.  There is a great tale of romance in the story of Edward and Eleanor.  After Queen Eleanor's death in 1290 near Lincoln Edward had twelve crosses built to mark each resting place of her coffin during the lavish funeral procession as it made its way to London.  Her visceral remains are buried in Lincoln Cathedral, her heart at Blackfriars' Church in London and her body in Westminster Abbey. 


4. The Dean's Eye Window

  It dates from the time of a previous restoration and re-building in the time of Hugh of Avalon 1192 -1235.  Called a rose window but also known as a wheel window because its tracery is reminiscent of the spokes of a wheel.


 

5.  Katherine Swynford, Duchess of Lancaster. 
The cathedral is the burial place of Katherine Swynford, who died in Lincoln in 1403, mistress then wife of John O'Gaunt, Duke of Lancaster.  I remember reading about her in Anya Seaton's book, simply called Katherine, when I was a teenager and being fascinated with her.  Her children with John of Gaunt were the Beauforts, her great grand daughter Margaret was the mother of Henry Tudor (later Henry VII) and her sister Phillipa was married to the poet Geoffrey Chaucer.  Here is a - link - to more about Katherine Swynford.  I've shown a general picture of the interior of the cathedral as the tomb itself was in an area where some school children were having a lesson and I didn't like to take photos nearby.

I will be writing a post about our visit to Lincoln Castle early next week.

36 comments:

  1. As a pair of ignorant Aussies on our trip to the UK, not our first but that one (the first) was very brief, we fell over Lincoln cathedral and castle by mistake (looking for lunch) and found it so fascinating, I doubt I will ever go back but I have never forgotten. Thank you for this. Interestingly our small coastal town in South Australia is where Matthew Flinders met Nicholas Baudin in 1802 and my husband was local Mayor when we had the bicentennial celebrations.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I remember we celebrated the bicentenial at the Musuem by opening the exhibition I spoke of and representatives of the Australian embassy and the governor of NSW plus descendent of Matthew Flinders came along. How wonderful that you found the cathedral and castle by chance and have some lovely memories of your visit:)

      Delete
  2. That really is a stunning building Rosie. Interesting comment from Penny above re Mathew Flinders too! x

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. It is stunning Simone and I'm so pleased that Penny (above) came by and left a comment:)

      Delete
  3. What an impressive tour you have given us, I love the stain glass window, a real delight it is so beautiful.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks, the window is impressive isn't it?::)

      Delete
  4. Lovely photos and interesting history, thanks for sharing

    ReplyDelete
  5. Thank you for the fascinating post! Interesting history facts and wonderful architecture.
    (*sigh!* We don't have anything as beautiful...)
    Have a lovely weekend!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks, Sara - glad you enjoyed the post:)

      Delete
  6. Very interesting, love the stained glass window

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks, Selma - the window is lovely isn't it?:)

      Delete
  7. Cathedrals are always so interesting, love your photos.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks, Janet as well as being impressive architecturaly they are full of human history too:)

      Delete
  8. I used to live round the back of there and walked past every morning on my way to work. I shared a flat with the Archdeacon's daughter. (I've said this before haven't I)
    Next time you visit see if you can find the bird flying off her nest in the stone carvings down the south wall. If memory serves me right it's just after the south transept as you walk towards the east end.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. You did say you lived nearby but not about the flat sharing - that must have been interesting. If I ever go back inside which I hope I will one day I will look for the bird:)

      Delete
  9. Five incredibly fascinating things from the cathedral!!! I would love to visit somewhere like this with someone like you who knows and can share so much, it makes it even more interesting. Thank you so much as always for joining in. I hope that you have a great weekend! xx

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. You'd be a lovely companion to have, Amy - and thank you for continuing with Five on Friday and for all your hard work in organising it:)

      Delete
  10. I love the imp...what fun to find it. A great set of five.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks, the Imp is great fun isn't he?:)

      Delete
  11. Well, I saw the window but missed every other detail you've featured... that's not good really! It's nice to see them here at least!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Ah, well you would be looking for different things, the beauty of such places is that we all find different things to interest us there:)

      Delete
  12. Such an interesting post and beautiful photos too. I love learning all that extra history about people I know but didn't know as much as you!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks, Chris - I'm glad you enjoyed the extra bits - I often feel I just 'scratch the surface' of places and then wish I'd looked more closely when I get back home:)

      Delete
  13. Replies
    1. Glad you enjoyed the post and thanks for visiting:)

      Delete
  14. Such beautiful photographs, I really interesting and lovely post xx

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks, Lisa - glad you enjoyed the post:)

      Delete
  15. Thanks for reminding me about Lincoln, we visited years ago when the boys were little. I seem to recall a prison museum?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Yes, there is a prison Museum within the castle walls and it is quite interesting now with interactive displays - there is also the Magna Carta and exhibition too but the best bit is being able to walk all around the walls - the views across the city and beyound are amazing. I will write a post about it in a few days time:)

      Delete
  16. I'll have to go along and see that imp. I love looking across rooftops especially when they are medieval. One of the summer holiday trips I think! Have a great weekend x

    ReplyDelete
  17. Oh, yes, do go and find the imp. The rooftops were wonderful. Have a lovely weekend:)

    ReplyDelete
  18. What a beautiful cathedral! Love that interior shot and rose window.
    Wendy

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. The interior is pretty spectacular isn't it?:)

      Delete
  19. Very interesting. I would love to visit Lincoln Cathedral. I'm re-reading 'Katherine' as it's a fascinating period of history. We are going to Ewelme, Oxfordshire soon especially to visit the church where Katherine's nephew is buried and where there are Chaucer connections.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Ewelme sounds wonderful, Linda - I hope you enjoy your visit and that you willl write about it afterwards. I'll look forward to that:)

      Delete