Lincoln Cathedral was a film set last week

It features as a double for Westminster Abbey where filming was banned because the film the Da Vinci Code claims Jesus married Mary Magdalene.

Sections of the set have been retained for an exhibition on the shooting of the Cathedral scenes.

Visitor numbers rose during last week's filming as fans tried to glimpse the movie's star Tom Hanks.

The film caused controversy with producers barred from filming at Westminster Abbey because the book suggests the church is covering up the truth about Jesus' life.

The novel portrays Jesus marrying Mary Magdalene and fathering a child.

New visitors

Gavin Kerr, from Lincoln Cathedral said: "We've certainly managed to up the tourism element of the city.

"We hope very much that events such as the filming of the Da Vinci Code are going to help put Lincoln on the map for visitors.

"We've certainly had large numbers of people we don't normally meet coming to see what could be seen and to talk to us and we rejoice in that."

Significant changes were made to parts of the cathedral so it looked like Westminster Abbey.

"They had to build a replica of the choir screen the bit that separates the Nave from the choir, that's a Victorian gothic creation at Westminster Abbey so they built an exact replica of that.