DISCOVER LINCOLN, Lincolnshire

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

The non-metropolitan district of Lincoln has a population of around 87,000. The council identifies a 'Greater Lincoln' catchment area covering many surrounding towns and villages, which has a population of 250,000. It has several twin towns: Port Lincoln, South Australia; Tangshan, China; and - most notably - Neustadt an der Weinstrasse, Germany.

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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 other 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 Dragons 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 city. A plethora of other, more conventional small industrial businesses are located in and around Lincoln.


TOURISM IN LINCOLN

The city is a tourist centre, but is rarely overwhelmed by tourists; 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. Any material from official archaeological excavations in Lincolnshire is eventually deposited at in The Collection so it is growing all the time.

Other attractions include the Museum of Lincolnshire Life and The Sir Joseph Banks Conservatory at The Lawn, adjacent to Lincoln Castle. Tranquil destinations close by include Whisby Nature Reserve and Hartsholme Park, whilst 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.

Following the construction of the music venue, the Engine Shed, in October 2006, a number of rock bands such as The Zutons, The Charlaltans and Babyshambles have played to "sold out" audiences.


LINCOLN CATHEDRAL

The first Lincoln Cathedral, within its close or walled precinct facing the castle, was commenced 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 feet) 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.


LINCOLN BY RAIL

The Lincoln Central Station has five platforms and has a steady flow of trains and passengers passing through. Trains run to a range of destinations including Newark, Grimsby, Nottingham, Leicester, Sheffield.

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 Nottingham for Midland Mainline trains to London St Pancras.


SPORT IN LINCOLN

Lincoln has its own football team, Lincoln City F.C., nicknamed "The Imps" who play at the Sincil Bank stadium on the southern edge of the city. The collapse of ITV Digital who owed Lincoln City FC more than £100,000 in 2002 saw the team faced with bankruptcy but the team was saved after a massive fundraising 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 their league place at the first attempt and have 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. and Lincoln Moorlands F.C. and Lincoln Griffins Ladies F.C..


TOPOGRAPHY OF LINCOLN: UPHILL & 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 200ft/60m 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'), together with the 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.


From Wikipedia.org, the Free Encyclopedia

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