Lincoln Cathedral

William the Conqueror ordered the first cathedral to be built in Lincoln, in 1072 but it was severely damaged in an earthquake in 1185. Most of the current building dates from the 12th and 13th centuries. The central tower was once topped with a lead-encased wooden spire that is said to have reached 160 metres (525 feet). If accurate, it would have put the cathedral ahead of the Great Pyramid of Giza as the world's tallest structure but the spire collapsed in storm in 1549. In August 2005, the cathedral was used for the filming of The Da Vinci Code where it represented Westminster Abbey as the Abbey had refused to permit filming.