Class 5 had a long-awaited trip to visit and learn about the stunning Lincoln Cathedral. Mrs Ballard was also keen to take advantage of this opportunity to steep ourselves in British history. We went to see one of the first sites William the Conqueror deemed important to build a Norman Cathedral. Our guide for the day, Sally, filled our heads with facts and figures about the Cathedral and we definitely all learnt new things we didn’t know before! Did you know that for 4,000 years the Giza pyramid was the tallest building in the world until Lincoln Cathedral built its spires in the 1300’s? Lincoln held this prestigious title for over 200 years (when the spires fell down in a storm)! We learnt that the stone carvings on the building’s exterior are not gargoyles, but actually ‘grotesques’ and we learnt how to read the stories within stained glass windows amongst many, many other things. Our heads were full!
Class 5 had a private tour of the Cathedral, fun making a clay tile of the ‘West Face’. We also learnt, through assembling a large model, the names of different parts of the Cathedral and when they were added to the original Normal building. Finally, we were treated to explore and learn in the Cathedral’s new Discovery Centre. It was fabulous for the children to play with models, print and stamp, dress up and make Norman and Gothic arches with key stones! Overall, Lincoln is steeped in history and well worth a visit!
