I was very pleased to see it was Vic again who had done a brilliant job on our Town Walk previously.
There was a Roof Tour with over 100 steps and a Tower tour with who knows how many steps..... it was freezing today up on this hill with the cathedral perched on the top, so there was no way I wanted to go up any higher.
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| Having hot chocolate waiting for the tour to begin, stunning view eh? |
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| Marvellous Vic tour guide |
During the Reformation the Puritans and co removed the brass handles and maybe other decorations from her tomb, its very plain now, however it is next to the alter and opposite the tomb of the founding bishop of Lincoln Cathedral.
Not bad for a commoner.
When the cathedral was built, started in 1087 I think, originally a fortified building for William the Conquerers army as it took a further five years to quell the Saxons after 1066 and all that.
They painted the cathedral white, not the dirty stone colour it is now, the faces statues and flowers that adorn the building throughout would have all been brightly coloured with blue red yellow etc, the effect would have been to dazzle the uneducated peasants and Lords alike, a taste of Heaven on earth. In a few tiny places you can still make out traces of the coloured paints form centuries ago. Vic really didn't like Oliver Cromwell at all.
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| Is so large its hard to photograph |
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| In the photo above, is the tower in the centre of this photo. |
When the cathedral was finished on the top of the centre tower was a wooden tower as tall again as the stone tower, in its day it was the tallest building in the world. The top of this tower would have appeared to have pierced Heaven itself, thus adding to the spectacle of the thousands of Pilgrims who made the pilgrimage to Lincoln to curry favour with the Lord.
It can be seen today from miles around this flat fenland and its not even white.
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| In a side chapel, there are the Duncan Grant frescoes |
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| I presume a yesteryear Selfie of Duncan Grant |
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| And here is his daughter Angelica, on the far left the study of which we saw yesterday in the Usher museum. |
We were later than we had hoped to be and as WaL was blocking the "Yarwoods" so we hotfooted it back to the boat via the famous pie shop on Steep Hill that we had passed by all weekend, and I can report that the pies are indeed as good as they sound.
Jumped aboard, thick winter clothing put on, this for me included a warm hat plus gloves and away we go.
The traffic lights at the end of Brayford Pool showed green so in we went, slowly..... I now understand this light has nothing to do with traffic, but river levels, so I was then surprised to see a yoghurt pot (Cruiser) in the bloody way!
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| Brayford Pool, the exit is in the top L corner |
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| Entering the narrow channel |
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| The Yars following on just behind |
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| The cruiser was as surprised to see us as vice versa. The "Glory Hole" |
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| Me in hat gloves and windproof jacket operating the fiendish Stamp End Lock |
Some annoying man who likes scaring women, told David some days ago that we wouldn't get through this lock, he said something like the books says 68ft max, if this was the case then we at 70ft and the longest of the Wash Convoy would have had to have retraced our steps and long way.
After some research into it and available info DOES vary it was decided that we would have a bash, on our own, in a diagonal fashion. My first ever guillotine lock and I did end up with an aching finger and you have to hold the button in for ages and ages.
The cill was the concern, instead of it being 2ft or 3ft poking out from the gates, this one pokes out 8ft or 9ft. David had to reverse over it several feet to get around the lock doors but no problem and away we speed eastwards
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| Yarwood the other side of the lock as WaL descended the lock |
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| Me helpfully pointing out the cill. It remained covered as there is lots of water about at the moment. |
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| Out of Lincoln and this is what you get. Loads of nothing but Big Skies |
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| Can be seen from miles from the east |
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| Almost at Bardney and you get to play Dodgem's with the grass |
Cold but moored up at Bardney on a nice floating pontoon mooring. David made chorizo and courgette pasta.
A long day, long blog, well done getting to the end Reader
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