Lincoln

A hilltop Gothic giant, Lincoln Cathedral was once the world's tallest building; the castle holds an original Magna Carta, and steep old streets link the uphill and downhill city.

Lincoln, the county town of Lincolnshire in eastern England, is a cathedral city of about 100,000 people. The Romans founded the colony of Lindum Colonia here; after the Norman Conquest a castle and cathedral were built on the hilltop, and the city prospered on the wool trade in the Middle Ages. The city is divided into Uphill and Downhill. Uphill, on the hilltop, is home to Lincoln Cathedral, Lincoln Castle (which holds an original 1215 Magna Carta), the medieval Bishop's Palace, the old street of Bailgate and the Roman Newport Arch. Steep Hill links Uphill and Downhill, lined with medieval houses, bookshops and tearooms. Downhill has the railway station, the High Street, the Stonebow arch and the Brayford Waterfront. On Canwick Hill on the southern edge of the city, the International Bomber Command Centre tells the story of Lincolnshire as Bomber County in the Second World War. The best time to visit is Apr–Oct, when mild weather suits walking; the Lincoln Christmas Market in early December is one of the most popular in the UK, and accommodation fills up, so book early. Getting there: trains from London King's Cross take about 2 hours (some direct, some changing at Newark), and about 1 hour from Nottingham; the nearest airport is East Midlands Airport. The city's sights are walkable, but the climb between Downhill and Uphill is steep, so you can take the Walk and Ride minibus. Allow 1–2 days: on day one see the castle, cathedral and old streets; on day two visit Doddington Hall and the International Bomber Command Centre, or drive to Tattershall Castle, the Lincolnshire Aviation Heritage Centre at East Kirkby, Belton House and Newton's birthplace, Woolsthorpe Manor. National Trust and English Heritage properties are often closed or open on limited days in winter, so check their websites before setting off.

Top sights

• Lincoln Cathedral – An English Gothic giant that held the title of the world's tallest building for over 200 years thanks to its spire. It is the emblem of the…
• Lincoln Castle – A Norman castle built in 1068 by William the Conqueror, home to one of the original 1215 Magna Carta copies. You can walk the castle walls…
• Steep Hill – A steep cobbled old street linking the Uphill and Downhill parts of the city, lined with medieval houses, independent bookshops, tea rooms…
• Lincoln Medieval Bishop's Palace – The ruins of a 12th-century bishop's palace just south of the cathedral, with a terraced garden overlooking the lower town and a small vine…
• International Bomber Command Centre – A Second World War Bomber Command memorial on Canwick Hill, where the 31-metre memorial spire and the wall engraved with the names of the f…
• Brayford Waterfront – The end point of the Fossdyke Canal, built by the Romans, and the oldest inland port in England, now a waterfront lined with restaurants an…
• Bailgate – The main street of the uphill city, running alongside the castle and north of the cathedral, lined with boutiques, tea rooms and old pubs a…
• Newport Arch – The remains of the north gate of Roman Lincoln, built around the 3rd century. It is the only Roman arch in Britain that vehicles still driv…
• Jew's House – A 12th-century Norman stone house, one of the oldest surviving inhabited homes in England, which bears witness to Lincoln's medieval Jewish…
• Stonebow and Guildhall – A Tudor stone gateway spanning the High Street, with the Guildhall above still in use, and free guided tours available.
• Museum of Lincolnshire Life – A local life museum in a former barracks, with reconstructed old shops and farm tools, and the prototype of the world's first tank.
• The Collection Museum – Lincolnshire's archaeology and history museum, with finds from the Stone Age through Roman Lincoln to the Saxon and Viking periods.
• Usher Gallery – An art gallery in an Edwardian building with watercolours by Turner and Dewint, clocks, and memorabilia of the poet Tennyson.
• Lincoln Arboretum – A hillside park from the Victorian era, opened in 1872, with a lion statue, a maze and terraced flower beds overlooking the city.
• Hartsholme Country Park – A lakeside woodland park about 5 km southwest of the city centre, a favourite with Lincoln locals for weekend walks, feeding ducks and picn…
• Whisby Nature Park – A nature reserve on former gravel pits, a mix of lakes, reedbeds and woodland, famous for nightingales in spring and wintering waterbirds.
• Doddington Hall – An Elizabethan manor house from 1600, with a red-brick mansion, walled gardens and a popular farm shop.
• Lincolnshire Aviation Heritage Centre – The former Second World War RAF airfield at East Kirkby, where you can watch the Lancaster bomber Just Jane run up its engines and taxi.
• Tattershall Castle – The 15th-century red-brick keep of Tattershall Castle, a masterpiece of medieval brickwork in England, with views over the fenland plain fr…
• Belton House – A textbook example of a late 17th-century English country house, with a deer park, an Italian garden and one of England's largest outdoor a…
• Woolsthorpe Manor – The birthplace of Isaac Newton and the house where he spent his 'annus mirabilis', or miracle years; the apple tree said to have inspired h…
• Gainsborough Old Hall – One of England's best-preserved medieval manor houses, with a complete 15th-century great hall and kitchen

Where to eat

• Jews House – A refined restaurant in a stone house from around 1170. Chef Gavin Aitkenhead serves only set and tasting menus, and it…
• The Wig & Mitre – A long-standing pub at the top of Steep Hill, between the castle and the cathedral, run by the same family since 1976 a…
• Hobbsons Pie Shop (formerly Browns Pie Shop) – A pie shop on Steep Hill for over forty years, originally called Browns Pie Shop, serving handmade English pies and Sun…
• Olé Olé Spanish Tapas – A family-run Spanish tapas spot on Union Road, west of the castle. Generous portions at fair prices, and one of Lincoln…
• Rising Café – A charity café in Newland's Alive Church. All profits go to Betel UK, and it offers plenty of vegetarian choice and ran…