Lincoln Cathedral granted £11m lottery grant for restoration

The cathedral's libraries are home to thousands of rare books

Plans to renovate Lincoln Cathedral have been granted more than £11m of lottery funding.

The money is to be used towards a £16m project of works on the cathedral and its grounds.

The project aims to give "unprecedented access to the cathedral's collections of archaeological artefacts".

Landscaping will make new outdoor spaces and other parts are to opened to the public for the first time in decades.

The first cathedral on the site was built by Bishop Remigius and consecrated in 1092, and building continued throughout the medieval period.

Restoration and conservation of a Romanesque frieze and Exchequergate Arch are also to be funded by the grant.

The first Cathedral on the site was consecrated in 1092

One of the stone carvings inside the cathedral is the Lincoln Imp that has become a symbol for the city

Ros Kerslake, of the Heritage Lottery Fund said: "Lincoln Cathedral is one of England's finest surviving architectural examples of Norman power and dominance."

The Dean of Lincoln, the Very Reverend Christine Wilson, said: "Lincoln Cathedral rightly takes its place among the very best buildings in the world."

The grant would allow it to thrive "as a place of awe and wonder", she added.

The project is expected to be finished in 2020.