"More history than you can shake a stick at........" Top 5 Page for this destination Lincoln by leics

Lincoln Travel Guide: 220 reviews and 489 photos

Looking up Steep Hill to the cathedral. - Lincoln
Looking up Steep Hill to the cathedral.

Lincoln is like York in many ways.........a Roman town of great importance (then called Lindum), the site of a beautiful Medieval cathedral and still retaining much of its ancient street-layout. It is very popular with tourists, and (I suspect) becomes extremely crowded in the summer months. Out of season though, even on a Saturday afternoon, it's possible to thoroughly enjoy exploring what the local council now calls the 'historic quarter' (why?).

Some parts of Lindum can still be seen, including what was once the North gate of the town. There are a few bits of Roman wall around, but the mosaics and other artefacts which have been discovered are largely in museums.

Chapter house wall-painting - Lincoln

Chapter house wall-painting

Lincoln Cathedral, consecrated in 1092, is beautiful and deserves adequate time to properly explore it. The Chapter house (1230-50) has an amazing umbrella-style roof, and (unusually) surviving wall-paintings. The Lincoln Imp is famous, but there are (as in all Medieval cathedrals) many almost-hidden carvings which fascinate me. See travelogue below for more pictures.

Lincoln Castle (1068) is an impressive Norman stronghold opposite the cathedral, with what was a Victorian prison inside. At one time it operated the 'separate system', which basically meant solitary confinement. The Victorian prison chapel was designed to ensure that prisoners could not see anyone other then the chaplain. A very cruel system. Some of the hanged prisoners were buried within the keep (Lucy Tower), and I have to admit that it is one of the few places I have had to leave almost immediately. The atmosphere was unpleasant, and oppressive. Very strange.

Jew's House - Lincoln

Jew's House

Steep Hill winds down from the cathedral area to what is now the main part of town. Lined with teashops, bookshops and antique shops, many of its buildings are architecturally interesting. Two of them (the Jew's House and the Norman House) date back to the 12th century and are rare examples of Norman domestic architecture. Lots of photo opportunities and a very good (and extensive) second-hand bookshop (The Reader's Rest). It's worth a wander into the lower part of Lincoln, although it is much the same as anywhere else in the UK now...........Macdonalds, Next, WHSmith etc.......though the ancient Stonebow is worth seeing, and the Waterside area will be pretty in good weather.

Pros and Cons
  • Pros:History, archaeology, architecture
  • Cons:The old city can be crowded at times
  • In a nutshell:More history than you can shake a stick at!
  • Last visit to Lincoln: Mar 2006
  • Intro Updated Mar 12, 2011
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Reviews (15)

Tiny Medieval building............. - Lincoln Tiny building.................. Off The Beaten Path (4)

Tucked away in a garden next to the Mint Wall is this tiny building. A local lady said she thought it had been a chapel,... more travel advice

Mint Wall - Lincoln Large Roman wall........... Off The Beaten Path (4)

Hidden away in west Bight (near the back of the castle) lies the largest standing section of Roman wall in the country.... more travel advice

Collection cafe plaza - Lincoln The Collection Things to Do (8)

New art & archaeology museum, near Steep Hill and incorporating the Usher building. Hundreds of artefacts from... more travel advice

Goodies - Lincoln Sweeties galore! Shopping (1)

Lots and lots and lots of sweeties, old-fashioned ones in jars......sour drops, army & navy sweets, gumdrops, pear... more travel advice

Comments (3)

  • Reply
    Nemorino's Profile Photo
    Oct 11, 2009 at 9:00 AM

    Those old Roman and Norman buildings sound really interesting. I've never heard of putlog holes for scaffolding, but from the name I assume the Romans used to put logs into them.

  • Reply
    GibJoe's Profile Photo
    May 19, 2009 at 3:47 PM

    Good page on Lincoln

  • Reply
    Jun 2, 2006 at 12:34 PM

    Hi J, it's great finding these interesting places right on our doorsteps isn't it? Nice page :))

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