Lincoln () is a cathedral city and county town of Lincolnshire, England.

The non-metropolitan district of Lincoln has a population of around 101,000 - the 2001 census gave the entire urban area of Lincoln a population of 120,779.^[1] The council identifies a 'Greater Lincoln' catchment area covering surrounding villages, which has a population of 250,000.^[2]

It has several twin towns:^[3] Port Lincoln, South Australia; Radomsko, Poland;^[4] Tangshan, China; and ? most notably ? Neustadt an der Weinstraße, Germany.

History

Earliest history: Lindon

The Brayford Pool

The origins of the name Lincoln probably come from this period, when the settlement is thought to have been named in the Brythonic language of Iron Age Britain's Celtic inhabitants as Lindon "The Pool"^[5], presumably referring to the Brayford Pool. (This early name was subsequently Latinised in the Roman period to Lindum. Later, the designation colonia "settlement, colony" was added ? see below ? and the combined name Lindum colonia was taken into Old English as something like Lincoln, the modern name of the city.) It is not possible to know how big this original settlement was as its remains are now buried deep beneath the later Roman and medieval ruins, as well as the modern city of Lincoln.

Roman history: Lindum Colonia

Newport Arch

The conversion to a colonia was made when the legion moved on to York (Eboracum) in AD 71. Lindum colonia or more fully, Colonia Domitiana Lindensium, after its founder Domitian, was established within the walls of the hilltop fortress with the addition of an extension of about equal area, down the hillside to the waterside below.

It became a major flourishing settlement, accessible from the sea both through the River Trent and through the River Witham, and was even the provincial capital of Flavia Caesariensis when the province of Britannia Inferior was subdivided in the early 4th century, but then it and its waterways fell into decline. By the close of the 5th century the city was largely deserted, although some occupation continued under a Praefectus Civitatis, for Saint Paulinus visited a man of this office in Lincoln in AD 629.

AD 410 - 1066

The Norman West Front of Lincoln Cathedral

Cathedral

Construction of the first Lincoln Cathedral, within its close or walled precinct facing the castle, began when the see was removed from Dorchester and completed in 1092; it was rebuilt after a fire but was destroyed by an unusual earthquake in 1185. The rebuilt Lincoln Minster, enlarged to the east at each rebuilding, was on a magnificent scale, its crossing tower crowned by a spire reputed to have been 160 m (525 ft) high, the highest in Europe. When completed the central of the three spires is widely accepted to have succeeded the Great Pyramids of Egypt as the tallest man-made structure in the world.

The bishops of Lincoln were among the magnates of medieval England: Lincolnshire, the largest diocese, had more monasteries than the rest of England put together, and the diocese was supported by large estates outside the county.

When the Magna Carta was drawn up in 1215, one of the witnesses was Hugh of Wells, Bishop of Lincoln. One of only four surviving originals is now preserved in Lincoln Castle.

Among the most famous bishops of Lincoln were Robert Bloet, the magnificent justiciar to Henry I; Hugh of Avalon, the cathedral builder canonised as St Hugh of Lincoln; Robert Grosseteste, the 13th century intellectual; Henry, Cardinal Beaufort, a politician deeply involved in the Wars of the Roses; Philip Repyngdon, chaplain to Henry IV of England and defender of Wycliffe; Thomas Cardinal Wolsey.

The iconic view of Lincoln Cathedral

Medieval town

By 1150, Lincoln was among the wealthiest towns in England. The basis of the economy was cloth and wool, exported to Flanders; Lincoln weavers had set up a guild in 1130 to produce Lincoln Cloth, especially the fine dyed 'scarlet' and 'green', the reputation of which was later enhanced by Robin Hood wearing woollens of Lincoln green. In the Guildhall that surmounts the city gate called the Stonebow, the ancient Council Chamber contains Lincoln's civic insignia, probably the finest collection of civic regalia outside London.

Outside the precincts of cathedral and castle, the old quarter clustered around the Bailgate, and down Steep Hill to the High Bridge, which bears half-timbered housing, with the upper stories jutting out over the river, as London Bridge once had. There are three ancient churches: St Mary le Wigford and St Peter at Gowts are both 11th century in origin and St Mary Magdalene, built in the late 13th century, is an unusual English dedication to the saint whose cult was coming greatly into vogue on the European continent at that time.

Jew's House

During the 13th century, Lincoln was the third largest city in England and was a favourite of more than one king. It also became caught up in the strife between the king and the rebel barons who had allied with the French, which was an ongoing result on the baron rebellion against King John. It was here and at Dover that the French and Rebel army was defeated.

However, during the 14th century, the city's fortunes began to decline. The lower city was prone to flooding, becoming increasingly isolated, and plagues were common. In 1409, the city was made a county corporate.

16th century

The Dissolution of the Monasteries further exacerbated Lincoln's problems, cutting off the main source of diocesan income and drying up the network of patronage controlled by the bishop, with no less than seven monasteries within the city alone closed down. This was accompanied by closure of a number of nearby parliamentary abbeys which led to a further diminishment of the region's political power. When the cathedral's great spire rotted and collapsed in 1549 and was not replaced, it was a significant symbol of Lincoln's economic and political decline. However, the comparative poverty of post-medieval Lincoln preserved pre-medieval structures that would probably have been lost in more prosperous contexts.

The Civil War

The west front of Lincoln Cathedral viewed through the Exchequer Gate, one of a number of surviving gates in the Cathedral Close walls.

The Georgian Age

By the Georgian era, Lincoln's fortunes began to pick up, thanks in part to the Agricultural Revolution. The re-opening of the Foss Dyke canal allowed coal and other raw materials vital to industry to be more easily brought into the city.

As well as the economic growth of Lincoln during this era, the city boundaries expanded to include the West Common. To this day, an annual 'Beat the Boundaries' walk takes place along the perimeter of the common.

The Industrial Revolution

Coupled with the arrival of the railway links, Lincoln boomed again during the Industrial Revolution, and several world-famous companies arose, such as Ruston's, Clayton's, Proctor's, and William Foster's. Lincoln began to excel in heavy engineering, building diesel engine trains, steam shovels, and all manner of heavy machinery.

The 20th century

Lincoln was hit by a major typhoid epidemic between November 1904 and August 1905 caused by polluted drinking water from Hartsholme Lake and the River Witham. Over 1,000 people contracted the disease and fatalities totalled 113, ironically including the very man responsible for the city's water supply, Matthew Robinson of Baker Crescent. Westgate Water Tower was constructed to provide new water supplies to the city.

In the world wars, Lincoln naturally switched to war production. The first ever tanks were invented, designed and built in Lincoln by William Foster & Co. Ltd during the First World War and population growth provided more workers for even greater expansion. The tanks were tested on land now covered by Tritton Road (in the south-west suburbs of the city). During the Second World War, Lincoln produced a vast array of war goods, from tanks, aircraft, munitions, and military vehicles. Ruston and Hornsby produced diesel engines for ships and locomotives, then by teaming up with former colleagues of Frank Whittle and Power Jets Ltd, in the early 1950s, R & H (which became RGT) opened the first ever production line to build gas turbine engines for land-based and sea-based energy production. Hugely successful, it has become the largest single employer in the city, providing over 5,000 jobs in its factory and research facilities, making it a rich takeover target for industrial conglomerates. It was taken over by GEC in the late 1960s with diesel engine production being transferred to the Ruston Diesels division in Newton-le-Willows, Lancashire of GEC at the former Vulcan Foundry, which was eventually bought by the German MAN B&W Diesel in June 2000. It merged with Alstom of France in the late 1980s, then in 2003 was bought out by Siemens AG of Germany, now being called Siemens Industrial Turbomachinery. This also includes what is left of Napier Turbochargers. Plans were announced early in 2008 for the construction of a new plant just outside the city boundary at Teal Park, North Hykeham ^[6]

In the post-war years after 1945, new suburbs were built, but heavy industry declined towards the end of the 20th century, mimicking the wider economic profile of the United Kingdom. More people are nevertheless still employed today in Lincoln building gas turbines than anything else.

Economy

Lincoln's economy is based mainly on public administration, commerce, arable farming and tourism, with industrial relics like Rustons (now Siemens) still in existence. However, many of Lincoln's industrial giants have long ceased production in the city, leaving large empty industrial warehouse-like buildings. More recently, these buildings have become multi-occupant units, with the likes of Lincs FM radio station and LA Fitness gym taking up space. Like many other cities in Britain, Lincoln has developed a growing IT economy, with many e-commerce mail order companies setting up in or around the place. A plethora of other, more conventional small industrial businesses are located in and around Lincoln. One of the reasons for building the university was to increase inward investment and act as a springboard for small companies.

Over the last few years, Lincoln has also seen rapid development in its retail sector, in an attempt to keep people shopping in the city and to compete with the neighbouring cities of Nottingham and Sheffield. Around the Tritton Road trading estate, many new businesses have begun trading from large units with car parking. Lincoln has a choice of five large national supermarkets. The recently developed St Mark's Square complex has Debenhams as the flagship store and has an accompanying trading estate with well known chain stores such as Bhs. Another development is also expected to be completed by 2011/12 called Lindongate which includes plans for a new department store, shops, hotel, apartments and new transport facilities. The viability of proposed developments such as this may, however, now be called into question by the sudden economic downturn starting late in 2007. The scheme depends on a continuing demand for retail space, and a continuation of a strong housing market, but by mid-2008 both of these factors had become conspicuously absent.

The Extra motorway services company is based on Castle Hill, with most new UK service areas being built by Swayfields who are part of the same company.

Tourism

The city is a tourist centre and those who come do so to visit the numerous historic buildings including, of course, the Cathedral and the Castle and the specialist shops of Steep Hill and Bailgate. The Collection, of which the Usher Gallery is now a part, is an important attraction. Housed partly in a recently opened, purpose-built venue, it currently contains over 2,000,000 objects, and was one of the four finalists for the 2006 Gulbenkian Prize. Any material from official archaeological excavations in Lincolnshire is eventually deposited at in The Collection so it is growing all the time.

A view up Steep Hill towards the historic quarter of Bailgate.

Other attractions include the Museum of Lincolnshire Life and The Sir Joseph Banks Conservatory at The Lawn, Lincoln, adjacent to Lincoln Castle. Tranquil destinations close by include Whisby Nature Reserve and Hartsholme Park, while noisier entertainment can be found at Waddington airfield, Scampton airfield (base of the RAF's Red Arrows jet aerobatic team), the County Showground or the Cadwell Park motor racing circuit near Louth.

Because of its climate, Lincoln attracts many of its tourists in the summer, but also during the second weekend of December when the Bailgate area of the city holds its annual Christmas Market in and around the Castle grounds. The market is based upon the traditional German-style Weihnachtsmarkt as found in several German cities, including Lincoln's 'twin town' Neustadt an der Weinstrasse.

Topography: 'Uphill' and 'Downhill'

The city of Lincoln is built at the point where there is a gap in the Lincoln Cliff (a limestone escarpment running north-south and rising to 200 ft/60 m in height, also sometimes called the 'Lincoln(shire) Edge' or 'Lincoln Heath'). The River Witham flows through this gap. Lincoln is thus divided informally into two zones, known locally as uphill and downhill.

The uphill area comprises the northern part of the city, on top of the Lincoln Cliff (to the north of the gap). This area includes the historical quarter, including the cathedral and castle, known locally as The Bail (although described in tourist promotional literature as 'The Cathedral Quarter'). It also includes residential suburbs to the north and north-east. The downhill area comprises the city centre (located in the gap) and the suburbs to the south and south-west. The aptly named street Steep Hill connects the two (although it is too steep for vehicular traffic, which must take a more circuitous route).

This divide marks out Lincoln from other historic cities in England and elsewhere in Europe. Whereas in most such cities, the chief historical buildings (cathedrals and castles) tend to be centrally located and intermingled with the present-day city centre, in Lincoln they are separate.

The divide was also once an important class distinction, with 'uphill' more affluent and 'downhill' less so. This distinction dates from the time of the Norman Conquest, when the religious and military elite occupied the hilltop. The construction and expansion of suburbs in both parts of the city since the mid-nineteenth century has diluted this distinction, nevertheless 'uphill' residential property continues to fetch a premium, and is almost invariably referred to as such in literature emanating from local estate agents. Membership of noted uphill organisations such as the Lincoln Astronomical Society, the Lincoln Backgammon Club, the Lincoln Uphill Gardeners' Club and the Lincoln Waits is seen as a mark of local success, and much prized.

In the UK government scale of economic deprivation for district councils which varies 1 to 5, Lincoln and Boston have been graded as 4. However, this is an average figure, with uphill Lincoln being more likely to be around 2.

Transport

Lincoln Station

The station has five platforms and has a steady flow of trains and passengers passing through. Trains run to a range of destinations including Newark-on-Trent, Grimsby, Nottingham, Leicester, Sheffield and Peterborough. Unfortunately the electrification of the East Coast Mainline in the late 1980s saw the demise of direct services into London King's Cross forcing a change at Newark or Peterborough for National Express East Coast services to London Kings Cross or Nottingham for East Midlands Trains trains to London St Pancras. However, under the new East Midlands Trains franchise which started in November 2007, there are plans to provide a direct service from Lincoln Central to London St Pancras, however this would be at least a three hour service via Leicester and Nottingham which would not be competition for (quicker) car journeys. From 2009^[7]the National Express East Coast franchise will provide a two-hourly service to London Kings Cross.

Road crossing controversy

The railway crossing on the High Street.

The city's MP and the Chamber of Commerce have suggested that this may be deterring inward investment by new employers.^[8] This has been an issue in Lincoln since the 1860s according to Hansard records.

Roads

The £19m A46 bypass opened December 1985. It is currently exceeding its designed capacity from the North Hykeham roundabout (A1434) to the B1378 Skellingthorpe Road roundabout, especially in the summer on weekends. For many decades Lincoln was barely connected to the UK trunk road network until the A46 to Newark was remodelled as dual carriageway in July 2003 at a cost of £28m, which has made the city more accessible for business. This was largely due to lobbying from Gillian Merron: Boston's much needed bypass has had less conspicuous government support. Lincoln has its own bypass problems however as funding for the A15 eastern bypass was reviewed in 2006 by the East Midlands Regional Assembly and the bypass was postponed several years with it unlikely to be built before 2016.

Education

Higher education

Lincoln has two higher education institutions, the older being Bishop Grosseteste University College, which started life as a teacher training college linked to the Anglican Church in 1862. During the 1990s, the college branched out into new subject areas with a focus on the arts and drama. It has no links with the new university.

The larger University of Lincoln started life as the University of Lincolnshire and Humberside in 1996, when the University of Humberside opened a Lincoln campus next to Brayford Pool attracting additional students to the city and giving it a refreshing youthful appearance. Lincoln Art College (which was Lincolnshire's main outlet for higher education) and Riseholme Agricultural College, which had previously been part of De Montfort University in Leicester, were absorbed into the University in 2001, and subsequently the Lincoln campus took priority over the Hull campus. Most buildings were built after 2001. The university changed its name to the University of Lincoln in September 2002. In the 2005/6 academic year, 8,292 full time undergraduates were studying at the university.^[9] Around 2002 there was considerable local annoyance with students' residences in the West End area. This subsided with vast numbers of student flats being built next to the Foss Dyke and Brayford Way B1273 bridge. Student life has improved Lincoln through the building of the Engine Shed theatre complex on Brayford Wharf East.

Further Education

Further education courses in Lincoln are provided by Lincoln College, which is the largest education institution in Lincolnshire, with 18,500 students, of whom 2,300 are full time.^[10] Also, Lincoln has an Access To Music branch, situated above Pulse and Ritzy, on Flaxengate.

Schools

The school system in Lincoln is considerably anomalous for the rest of Lincolnshire despite being part of the same Lincolnshire LEA as the rest of Lincolnshire mostly retained the grammar school system, although other areas near to Lincoln such as North Hykeham, Branston and Cherry Willingham also have comprehensive schools. Lincoln had two grammar schools until September 1974. Since 1992 however, Lincoln has had a newly-built secondary school, the Priory LSST which is technically a comprehensive but in reality gets A level results better than five Lincolnshire grammar schools. Many Lincoln comprehensive schools have been underperforming, with the Joseph Ruston School in Boultham consistently having the lowest results.

Media

The local newspaper is the Lincolnshire Echo, and the local radio stations are BBC Radio Lincolnshire on 94.9FM and its commercial rival Lincs FM on 102.2FM. The newest addition to the local airwaves is Siren FM, which broadcasts on 107.3FM from the University of Lincoln. BBC Look North have a bureau in Lincoln as an integral part of their coverage of Lincolnshire and East Yorkshire. There are three TV reporters based in Lincoln serving both BBC Look North and East Midlands Today.

Sport

Lincoln has a professional football team, Lincoln City F.C., nicknamed 'The Imps', which plays at the Sincil Bank stadium on the southern edge of the city. The collapse of ITV Digital, which owed Lincoln City FC more than £100,000, in 2002 saw the team faced with bankruptcy but it was saved after a massive fund-raising venture by the fans that returned ownership of the club to them where it has remained since. The club was famously the first team to be relegated from the English Football League, when automatic relegation to the Football Conference was introduced from the 1986-87 season. Lincoln City regained its league place at the first attempt and has held onto it since. Lincoln City has a female counterpart, Lincoln City L.F.C. ('The Lady Imps')

Lincoln is also home to Lincoln United F.C, Lincoln Moorlands Railway F.C. and Lincoln Griffins Ladies F.C..

Famous citizens

• James Allen – Pop star/D list celebrity from 1990s
• Joe Baker – famous footballer
• George Boole – pioneer of the Boolean algebra and binary notation that would later make computers possible, who was born in Lincoln in 1815.
• Jason Bradbury, stand-up comic and TV presenter most notably for Five's the Gadget Show
• Jim Broadbent – Oscar-winning actor who was born in Wickenby in 1949.
• Mark Byford, BBC Deputy Director-General, went to Lincoln School.
• William Byrd – A famous Renaissance composer an organist who resided near the Cathedral.
• Lee Chapman, former Sheffield Wednesday striker was born in Lincoln.
• Daniel Cox – British juniors tennis player was born in the city in 1990.
• Peter Day, BBC broadcaster went to Lincoln School.
• Jane Eaglen – (opera singer) was born in the city in 1962.
• Bob Evans – Formula 1 racing driver in the 1970s was born in Waddington in 1947.
• James Fenton – poet, journalist and literary critic, born in the city in 1949.
• Sheila Gish – RADA actress, including roles in Highlander.
• Darrell Hair – former international cricket umpire who recently was stood down after a ball tampering dispute with the Pakistan cricket team. He lives just outside the city, in Nettleham.
• Alex Henshaw, Spitfire chief test pilot, went to Lincoln School.
• John Hurt, actor, went to Lincoln School.
• Jonathan Kerrigan - television and stage actor currently appearing in ITV drama, Heartbeat, is from Lincoln.
• John de Lacy 1192 ? July 22, 1240, son of Roger, became Earl of Lincoln
• Sir Neville Marriner - famous conductor who arranged and conducted the music for the film Amadeus. He attended Lincoln School from 1935-42.
• Paul Palmer – swimmer who won the silver medal in the 400 metres Freestyle at the 1996 Olympics in Atlanta, Georgia, USA (also a former pupil Of Lincoln Christ's Hospital School).
• Allison Pearson, newspaper columnist, went to Lincoln Christ's Hospital School.
• Steve Race – radio broadcaster and host of Radio 4 programme My Music from 1967-93. He attended Lincoln School from 1932-39.
• Alfred Tennyson – Poet Laureate of the United Kingdom after William Wordsworth and one of the most popular English poets, was born in Somersby.

Twin towns

• Port Lincoln, Australia
• Tangshan, China
• Neustadt an der Weinstraße, Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany
• Radomsko, Poland

See also

Attractions

• Lincoln Cathedral
• Lincoln Imp
• Lincoln Castle
• The Sir Joseph Banks Conservatory at The Lawn, Lincoln
• Empowerment
• Lincoln City F.C.
• Steep Hill
• Jew's House
• Newport Arch
• Ellis Mill
• Museum of Lincolnshire Life
• Lincoln Arboretum
• Usher Gallery
• The Collection (Lincolnshire)

Places

• High Street, Lincoln
• Steep Hill
• Golden Eagle, Lincoln
• Boultham, Lincoln
• St. Catherines, Lincoln
• University of Lincoln
• Engine Shed
• Lincoln Drill Hall
• Lincoln Theological College
• Lincoln Medieval Bishop's Palace
• Lincoln Racecourse

People

• Hugh of Lincoln
• Little Saint Hugh of Lincoln
• George Boole
• Aaron of Lincoln

References

Further reading

• Francis Hill, 1948. Medieval Lincoln (Cambridge: University Press)

External links

Official

• City of Lincoln Council
• University of Lincoln
• Gillian Merron - Member of Parliament for Lincoln

History

• Florilegium urbanum: provision for electing city officers, ca 1300, and Francis Hill's discussion
• History of Ruston & Hornsby
• Jewish communities in Eastern England: Lincoln
• Lincoln Waites
• Lindum: Roman Lincoln
• The Society for Lincolnshire History and Archaeology

Tourism and pictures

• Light and Dreams Photography, Images of Lincoln
• Swanholme Lakes Local Nature Reserve
• Greetwell Hollow Nature Reserve
• Beautiful Images of Greetwell Quarry
• Britannia.com
• The Lincoln Book Festival
• The Inside Out Guide to Lincoln website: Visitor guide publications to the City of Lincoln
• Digital pictures of Lincoln

Media

• Siren FM
• Radio Lincolnshire 94.9FM
• Lincs FM 102.2
• Lincoln Today
• Lincoln Forum

Local business and trade

• Chamber of Commerce
• Lincolnshire Echo, the county's best known newspaper is based in Lincoln

Local music and art

• County Amateur Operatic & Dramatic Society (CAODS) website
• Lincoln Bands website
• Lincoln District Scout Band
• Music-Link

Local Organisations

• Lincoln Astronomical Society (meets weekly, monthly formal meetings with guest speaker)\
• Grace Church Lincoln (meets in Sudbrooke Drive Community Centre)
• http://www.tcmlincoln.co.uk

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