Gazing at the past in Lincoln, UK

The award for most painstaking (but enjoyable) part of the journey has to go to Steep Hill. Not ironic, this hill is a cruel incline in an otherwise fairly flat city. It is quite a quaint hill; cobbled, narrow and lined with Ye Olde Worlde craft, confectionery, antique shops and coffee shops. Once at the top, I felt a great sense of achievement.

The Castle was magnificent, the grounds are beautifully kept and in the summer months would make a lovely backdrop for a picnic. It has loads of things to see and isn’t really like a conventional ‘do not touch’ museum. The prison and prison chapel and the Magna Carta are fascinating places and deserve closer investigation. The Observatory Tower is well worth climbing to see those amazing views of Lincoln.

Lincoln Cathedral is a working place of worship; therefore visitors should act in a respectful manner. Whilst there isn’t really much to do inside the cathedral apart from examine the awesome architecture and praise its beauty, that’s exactly what you’d expect from a place of worship. I didn’t take a guided tour, and I wonder if I may have missed something by not doing so.

Quick Tips:

Be aware that the castle operates different opening hours during the summer and winter months. In summer it opens from 9.30am-5.30pm Monday-Saturday and on Sunday from 11am – 5.30pm with last admissions at 4.30pm. In winter the castle closes at 4pm and last admissions are at 3.30pm. Enquiries at the castle indicate that summer opening coincides with British summertime, and the rest of the year is classified as winter. Check the website for details: www.lincolnshire.gov.uk (click on ‘leisure and culture’ and then ‘places to visit’).

Wheelchair and pram access to the castle appears to be limited to the main buildings: the Magna Carta, prison and prison chapel etc. Check with admissions for further details. The telephone number for Lincoln Castle is: 01522 511068

The cathedral hosts a number of concerts and events throughout the year, so it might be worthwhile checking their website or ringing them to find out opening times before you making your plans travel. The telephone number for Lincoln Cathedral is: 01522 544544 and the website address is: www.lincolncathedral.com. Wheelchair/pram access is available at the main entrance and guided tours are available at both the Castle and the Cathedral and are free.

Best Way To Get Around:

To get to both the Castle and Cathedral, you can follow the high street straight up through the centre of Lincoln. The walk up Steep Hill can be very tiring and sore on the legs, but there is a bus service that runs from the square adjacent to House of Fraser, High Street up to the top at Castle Square (and back down again). The bus goes every 20 minutes and runs from 10am –5pm Monday – Saturday, and from 12pm – 5pm on Sundays. It costs 70p for adults, 40p for children over 5 and 35p for concessions. If you think you can manage the hill, it does host a number of specialist shops and cafes, most are worth closer investigation and make the walk enjoyable. Once at the top of Steep Hill, the land levels out and walking is much easier on the legs. The castle and the cathedral are within easy walking distance of each other, which is handy. Another street, Bailgate, intersects the distance between the castle and cathedral and it too, has a number of independent restaurants, shops and hotels either on it or on adjacent streets.

I stayed at the Courtyard Hotel (owned by Marriot) and my overall experience was good. I stayed in a twin room, overlooking the Brayford Pool Marina; it was spacious and comfortable. Although the décor in the main bedroom area looked like it needed updating it did, nonetheless, create a relaxing ambience. The bathroom, on the other hand, made up for the disappointing bedroom décor. This extravagant and rather ostentatious bathroom was gorgeous, complete with a basket of smelly goodies, power shower and, something I’ve never experienced before, speakers so that you don’t miss what’s happening on TV.

The location of this hotel is excellent; adjacent to the Brayford Pool, the view was great and it’s proximity to the city centre is good – not too close so that you feel like you’re in a concrete jungle, but close enough to walk there. There are also a number of bars, restaurants and a cinema all within 5 minutes walking distance. This has its upside – you don’t have far to walk after your night out. It also has its downside; with my room overlooking the entrance to the hotel and the main street, you can hear people leaving clubs in the early hours, but if you’re one of them, it won’t matter to you!

The hotel also has leisure facilities, is wheelchair and pram friendly and has it’s own café/restaurant. Room service is available and although the menu is not massive, my food arrived quickly, with friendly service and I found the portions large and delicious. However, this is reflected in the price.

As one of the world’s leading international hotel chains, Marriot’s prices reflect their market position. I paid roughly £70 for bed and breakfast per night, plus extra for room service. There are other, cheaper bed-and-breakfast establishments in Lincoln, but it is questionable whether their facilities and service are as professional and as customer service-orientated as Marriot.

I visited Lincoln Castle and Cathedral on a chilly Sunday in March. My only expectations were that they would be (obviously) historic and fascinating. I visited the castle first and later wandered over to the cathedral.

I paid my £3.50 entrance fee to the Castle and using the map provided, immediately headed off towards the Observatory Tower that can be seen from all over Lincoln, on top of the hillside looking proud and bearing the Union Jack. After that walk up Steep Hill this wasn’t easy, and many steps later I’d reached the Castle Walls and went inside the tower, climbed some more steps, and then found a tiny spiral staircase leading to the summit. Blimey, I thought, these guys in the 11th century must have been tiny! I arrived at the top, legs feeling shaky (but not sure whether this was to do with my fear of heights or the number of steps, plus the walk up Steep Hill). It was windy, but the views were astounding. This is probably the best place to get decent photos of the Cathedral - it all fits in the viewfinder – great! Luckily, the day I went the weather was so clear and I could see for miles. I then descended from the tower and made my way around the castle walls, it felt truly remarkable to think that William the Conqueror built this, and here I was hundreds of years later, walking in his footsteps, so to speak.

This may sound a bit macabre, but the prison and the prison’s chapel were one of the top highlights of my day. As you enter the prison, on the left is (in my opinion) a rather lame depiction of a man working in the prison workhouse. I thought the prison was all going to be like this, but it wasn’t and I progressed to find that information provided was interesting and concise. A dungeon was straight ahead – big, black, heavy jail gates, white walls and cells. Phrases adorn the walls showing repentance for sins and asking for the Lord’s help. I felt scared! And worse was to come. In 1849 the prison adopted a ‘separate system’, which meant keeping prisoners apart and the system was used in the chapel as well as in the prison itself. The chapel, which I had expected to look like an average church, was not at all like this. There were rows upon rows of what can only be described as upturned coffins. I went to have a closer investigation and found that these ‘coffins’ had seats inside, lockable doors on the outside, and were very, very narrow. I tried to get inside one, then I remembered the CCTV surveillance and that I was probably a great deal larger than the average 19th-century prisoner and would probably get myself stuck, so I legged it and went to find the Magna Carta.

Originally, there were forty-one Magna Carta documents, one for every county of England. Today, only four remain, one in Salisbury Cathedral, two in the British Library and of course, one here in Lincoln. It is housed in the same building as the prison, and I thought that it would be right inside the door as I walked in, but it wasn’t.

There are a number of displays about how it has helped contribute to contemporary British life since it was produced in the 13th century. The build up to its presence is much the same as other historical museums with scenes of bygone England, fabric motifs and sketches of old Lincoln adorning the passageway. I did, however, like the chanting monks in the background as it made the place feel ‘old’ even if the decoration didn’t have the same impact. The Magna Carta is housed in a darkened room and encased in a glass box to protect it from deterioration. I had to ask myself, how could they make the build-up to the display of the Magna Carta a bit more spectacular? I couldn’t think of an answer, because the fact is that the document is over 780 years old and in pretty good condition. This made me realise that excitement doesn’t have to be invoked through the latest life-changing gadget. So with this in mind, I moved on from the castle and went to enjoy the serenity of the cathedral.

Now, I’m not a devoutly religious person, but Lincoln Cathedral certainly makes you feel religious. Built in 1075, by a Bishop named Remigius, who was a Benedictine monk and supporter of William the Conqueror, from the moment you walk in to the cathedral the atmosphere is very calm it makes you ooze respect. The cathedral hosts different exhibitions (with religious themes) throughout the year; the ones I saw were of wooden sculptures depicting the crucifixion and resurrection of Christ. They were very moving, thought-provoking and well made. The cathedral is also home to the Lincoln Imp, which also lends its name to the city’s football team. Legend states that it was Satan who sent two imps to Lincoln and after causing trouble in the cathedral, one of them settled on a stone pillar and received punishment from an angel who turned him to stone. Good luck trying to find it, in this vast area it won’t be easy!

It costs £50,000 per year to upkeep Lincoln Cathedral, and because of this, there are donation boxes scattered throughout the building. Often, these donation boxes are not actually for the upkeep of the Cathedral, but for other causes. Admission is £4.00 for adults and £3.00 for children; you are also encouraged to give a donation. I was happy to give a donation because the architecture and structure of the Cathedral is so astounding, that it deserves to be preserved. I thoroughly enjoyed the cathedral, the architecture and decoration are phenomenal and it was a spectacular place to chill out and soak up some real atmosphere in today’s manic world.

In my view, I would encourage people of all age ranges to visit both the castle and the cathedral. However, it is important to be aware that children and teenagers may not find the cathedral as interesting as the castle. This is simply because there aren’t really any ‘hands on’ experiences for them to participate in. I think a family visit would probably spend more time in the castle.

A great time to visit Lincoln is at the beginning of December when the city hosts its annual Christmas market, which is based around the castle and cathedral area. The market is awash with stalls, music, food and amateur dramatics. The market also has a fairground that is popular with children, teenagers and adults. The atmosphere is very festive and feels almost like walking into a traditional market town scene on a Christmas card. The market runs from Thursday to Sunday evening. It is at its busiest on Saturday and Sunday as people from visit from across the UK and Europe. On the whole, this time of year is probably the most hectic in Lincoln as restaurants, hotels, and pubs all enjoy this massive influx of people. For the visitor, however, it can make it frustrating when trying to find somewhere to eat, for example.

The cathedral hosts a number of carol and prayer services that visitors are welcome to participate in over the market period and during advent.