The Lincoln Cathedral Connected project will reinstate the historic character of the Close, with  new visitor facilities and landscaping of the grounds. The land surrounding the Cathedral is a designated Scheduled Monument, which means that the area is protected. We are excavating
to discover information about our past that would otherwise be lost during the building works.

This complex project involves excavation and monitoring around the Cathedral and focused on key areas to the north and west. Small holes have been dug around the Cathedral for new lighting. These have uncovered part of the earliest Cathedral building and shown it was larger than scholars had thought. The stonework we have uncovered is late 11th or 12th century in date, making it earlier than the Nave, which was built in the early 13th century. This is an incredibly significant discovery and shows that even tiny windows into the past can re-write our understanding of the building of Lincoln. Our excavations at site of the medieval Deanery off East Gate revealed the Tudor stables with its beautiful herringbone brick floor.

During excavations in the Parvis at the West Front of the Cathedral we uncovered a number of burials including that of a medieval priest, buried with a pewter chalice and paten for taking Holy Communion. Many of the burials encountered were in stone coffins, and one, which was in a stone-lined grave, may be Saxon and therefore pre-date the Cathedral. In all it is believed around 2,000 people are buried in the circular Parvis and cobbled road area surrounding it. The excavated trenches in are for new drainage and services associated with new footpaths for the West Front.

To the north of the Cathedral we have found evidence of Roman buildings with painted plaster walls. Fragments of the plaster can help us some way towards picturing the colourful interiors of these houses and we have also found part of a ceramic incense burner.