Lincoln Visit

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Mister E and I spent our weekend in Lincoln. It is a city that we have only visited briefly, once before, but found it a beautiful destination. Sometimes in the quest to travel and experience new cultures or with the familiarity of what is around you every day, you forget how many wonderful sights there are to see in the UK.


It was also a fitting destination for the 800th anniversary since the Magna Carta was sealed, as the charter itself was drafted by Stephen Langton, the then Archbishop of Canterbury who had earlier studied as a cleric in Lincoln. Copies of the Magna Carta were distributed to a number of places of worship throughout the country and that of Lincoln Cathedral is purportedly the best preserved of the four that survive to the present day.


We stayed in the Old Palace which was the historic home of the Bishop of Lincoln but which now operates as a hotel with bedrooms in a converted church in the grounds, all directly under the imposing structure of the Cathedral. 


We also visited The Collection, another museum (as in Carlisle and London) chronicling the history of a city from 450,000 BC to modern times and after 3 such museums in less than two weeks am proud to say that we can now both identify and differentiate Neanderthal and Anglo Saxon tools (or so it seems) from sight.


Many might argue that the climb (it is even called Steep Hill when you reach the higher part)  up Lincoln's main street  from the river to the Castle and Cathedral at the top are unsuitable for some visitors. We however found it an ample excuse for tucking into the large cooked breakfast at the hotel before setting out to explore on foot and seeing such fascinating sights as:


The house dating from the 12th century and believed to be the oldest surviving dwelling in the UK. Its first inhabitant was Aaron a Jew and moneylender, in the days when the Normans encouraged Jews to settle in England in order to provide loans, something Christians were then expressly prohibited from doing.


High Bridge the oldest bridge in the UK which still has buildings on it.



The half-timbered house that is now the Visitor Information Centre



The Cathedral by night



The Stonebow and Guildhall in use since 1520


Comments

Tracy Altieri said…
I am enjoying following you along on your retirement journey!
10 March 2015 at 19:33
Debra Journet said…
I have always wanted to see Lincoln Cathedral. It is very important in The Rainbow, a book I wrote on in my dissertation. I think I am going to re-read it this summer.
10 March 2015 at 19:53
Caree Risover said…
Thank you Tracy and now I have discovered your blog I shall be reciprocating
10 March 2015 at 21:23
Caree Risover said…
There is something quite awesome about Lincoln Cathedral, I think because it is viewed either dominating the town or else from a very close and steep angle and don't get me started on the carved stonework...
10 March 2015 at 21:25
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