Rays of light stream across the city of Lincoln, the sky clear with a cool breeze. Hordes of people gather into the walls of Lincoln Cathedral for another day of music, prayer, and joy. Church bells ring out.
Welcome All, the Very Reverend Dr Simon Jones, the new – and 85th – Dean of Lincoln.
With the cathedral’s rich history dating back to the 11th century, it’s perhaps surprising that just 84 people have held this position – appointed by the King – before him. But that, he says, only makes this role all the more special.
“It’s fantastic to be back in Lincoln,” he said. “I came in March last year and I didn’t quite know what I would find. I didn’t know whether the job would be for me or how I’d cope with it, but I was keen to try something new.”
His installation took place on Saturday 14 September last year after he had spent nine months as interim Dean here between March and December 2023.
The role means he essentially leads the cathedral’s governing body, known as the Chapter. Which, in effect, means he is responsible for directing the life and work of the Cathedral.
Photo by: Sophie Law
“I love the variety of the job,” the 52-year-old says. “You’re doing all sorts of things. Before this interview, I was talking to two people who coordinate our volunteers and take people up the tower and do tower tours. But the best bit…it’s the people.”
Dean Jones was educated at the College of St Hild and St Bede, Durham, and at Selwyn College, Cambridge.
He came to Lincoln from Oxford where he had served as a Chaplain and Fellow for Merton College for 22 years.
“We went to Rome with our choir and sang the first ever Anglican Evensong at St Peter’s Basilica in Vatican City, back in 2017,” he remembers. “It was broadcast on the Vatican radio and Radio Three. It was an amazing privilege and a highlight.”
Lincoln Cathedral itself was first founded in 1072 and was built under the command of William the Conqueror. It took 20 years to build with its completion in 1092 and the first dean thought to have been Ranulph or Ralph appointed the same year.
The 950 years of history has led Lincoln Cathedral to change vastly from its original Romanesque style to the world-renowned Gothic structure that it is now.
But maintaining such a building does not, of course, come cheap.
“We don’t get any central funding from government,” says Dean Jones. “All the money we get we have to raise ourselves, either from donations or grants. There’s always work to be done with the fabric of the building or the scaffolding on parts of the Chapter house, which won’t be finished till February. It’s a big challenge to raise the sums that we need in order to keep the doors open.”
On the bright side, the Dean is hoping to implement some plans for the Cathedral.
“One thing I want is for the Cathedral to be more outward-looking by establishing new mutually-beneficial partnerships within the city and county,” he says. “We already have a number of important partners including the University of Lincoln but I’m keen to develop and identify more potential partners in the city that we can work with. For example, the NHS Trust and prison, local schools, local businesses, and community groups.”
He adds: “The cathedral is here to serve the city and the county but in order to do that we need to work with people, we need to have relationships with people.”
Photo by: Sophie Law
Of course, the city of Lincoln is known for its heritage and medieval architecture, but is there anything that the Dean loves about his new home?
“I really love the people and the sense of community,” he says. “And the significant number of students is familiar and feels good. It gives a degree of diversity and vibrancy to the city.”
If Dean Jones is excited to be here, meanwhile, it seems cathedral staff are excited to have him.
“Simon encompasses all the qualities which make an excellent Dean,” says Katie Grainger, who has been executive assistant to the Dean here for seven years. “He is approachable, compassionate, efficient and wants what is best for the cathedral and all the people who interact with it.”
Fact File:
- One of the most famous symbols of Lincoln Cathedral is the Lincoln Imp. According to legend, the Lincoln Imp was a creature sent by the devil to cause chaos in the Cathedral. It can be found high up in the Angel’s Choir and as the crest of Lincoln City’s Football Club.
- In 1311, Lincoln Cathedral became the tallest building in the world due to its central spire. It stood at 160 metres (525 feet), taller than the Great Pyramid of Giza. It remained the tallest building for 238 years until the spire collapsed in 1548 and was never rebuilt.
