Words by: Annderley Hill
This summer I have been volunteering in the Lincoln Cathedral Connected office. During this time I have been participating in some amazing work, one of the best things that I was lucky enough to be involved in was the collections audit. We worked our way through numerous Cathedral buildings and rooms photographing and measuring all the items that could be used in exhibitions in the future. Getting up close and personal with some of the Cathedral’s treasures has been an exciting and unique experience for me. One of my favourite items that we found was some medieval glass from the glazing department. Looking at it on the table it didn’t look too impressive but once it was put up against the light the colours were so bright and stunning, it was a revelation!
The Exchequer Gate Arch was another highlight, having walked underneath it many times it was very exciting to be able to go inside for the first time.
Another thing I have been doing is digitising Dean & Chapter documents to ensure that the Cathedral has a searchable document archive. This has involved visiting the Lincolnshire archives numerous times, something I hope to do more of in the future, and lots and lots of typing! My ability to read old scrawl writing has improved and I have learnt so much about the Cathedral’s history by typing up these documents. Reports on the Cathedral repairs have been some of the most interesting, especially those involving Godfrey, the former architect of the Cathedral, who I almost feel like I know personally now.
Getting involved in the area of heritage education has been amazing, it is definitely an area that I would like to continue being involved in. Sitting in on the Cathedral’s Education Forum was a brilliant experience, hearing about everything that is going on and what will be happening in the future regarding education at the Cathedral was so interesting. I was also involved in Story Time events at the Cathedral, which allowed children to hear the Noah’s Ark story and participate in the craft activities and animal tour, which was wonderful.
In addition, I also sat in on the Exhibition and Interpretation meetings. It’s fascinating to hear how much goes into an exhibition space before any of the objects even come into the equation. I am really looking forward to seeing how the objects and stories we have been discussing come to life in the new exhibition space. Visitors to the Cathedral will have a fascinating insight in to both the history and working life of the Cathedral.
Before I started this work experience I was about 80% sure I wanted to work in heritage but now I am 100% sure! Working in the Connected office has been an incredible experience and I am so excited about hopefully having an opportunity to be involved with the team again in the future. I’d like to say a huge thank you to the Connected Team.
