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The History of the Lincoln Imp

Written By Ben Doyle

The Lincoln Imp

So many accidents befell Lincoln Cathedral that it was thought the Devil himself had sent one of his Imps (nicknamed locally as The Lincoln Imp) to cause chaos and destruction in the cathedral.

Legend has it that during the building of the Angel Choir, The Lincoln Imp, sitting on top of pillar, started throwing stones and rocks at an Angel who had been sent to stop him causing more mayhem. In a moment of anger, she turned him into stone where he sat, and there you will find him to this day.

He sits cross-legged, complete with devil’s horns, on top of the pillar overlooking the Angel Choir – a constant reminder of how good will always triumph over evil!

The city’s football team, Lincoln City, are subsequently nicknamed ‘The Imps’ after the legend of the Lincoln Imp. Furthermore, Lincoln played host to the Imp Trail in the summer of 2021, where 31 individually designed imps were placed around the city. The trail attracted many tourists to the area, before the imps were auctioned off for charity in October. 

There are plenty of imp-themed gifts and items available to purchase online – for example…

About the author

Ben Doyle

Ben has lived in Lincoln in 2011 with his wife who has lived here all her life. With a background in writing, he has spent the last 12 years writing blog content, emails and eBooks for Lincolnshire's businesses. Today, he spends his time exploring our county and capturing its beauty on camera. When he's at home, he loves nothing better than to cook, using Lincolnshire's finest ingredients.

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