Sights in Lincoln
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Lincoln Cathedral
Towering over Lincoln like a medieval skyscraper, Lincoln's magnificent cathedral is a breathtaking representation of divine power on earth. The great tower rising above the crossing is the third-highest in England at 83m, but in medieval times, a lead-encased wooden spire added a further 79m to this height, topping even the great pyramids of Giza.
The first Lincoln cathedral was constructed between 1072 and 1092, but it fell in a devastating fire in 1141, and the second cathedral was destroyed by an earthquake in 1185. Putting trust in the motto 'third time lucky', Bishop Hugh of Avalon (St Hugh) rebuilt and massively expanded the cathedral, creating one of the largest Go…
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Lincoln Castle
One of the first castles thrown up by the victorious William the Conqueror to keep his new kingdom in line, Lincoln Castle offers awesome views over the city and its miles of surrounding countryside. Highlights include the chance to view one of the four surviving copies of the Magna Carta (dated 1215), and the grim Victorian prison chapel, dating back to the days when this was the county jailhouse and execution ground.
Free tours of the castle run at 11am and 2pm daily from April to September and on weekends in winter.
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Lincoln Cathedral's Central Tower
Up in the Lincoln Cathedral's central tower, the veteran Victorian bell Great Tom still swings its ponderous 2m, 270kg bulk to sound the hours. Just beyond the tower, the elaborate choir screen is studded with characters, including a stonemason sticking out his tongue just to the left of the door. St Hugh's Choir itself is topped by some quirky vaulting dubbed the 'crazy vault' for its angles, while the superbly carved and canopied stalls below are a classic example of medieval craftsmanship.
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Lincoln Imp
The Angel Choir is graced by 28 angels carved high up the walls of the Lincoln Cathedral. It was built as a shrine to St Hugh but modern pilgrims are mostly preoccupied with hunting for the famous Lincoln Imp, a lovably roguish little horned character that is now the city's emblem. Various fun legends surround the imp, but we like the one that the mischievous creature was caught chatting up one of the carved angels and was promptly turned to stone.
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Usher Art Gallery
Just east is the historic Usher Art Gallery, which now belongs to the same complex but sits separately in a grand mansion amid parkland. It dwells on the paintings and drawings of Peter de Wint (1784-1849) but also has works by JMW Turner, LS Lowry and others. The museum is also temporary home to bits and bobs belonging to Lincolnshire-born poet Alfred Lord Tennyson (1809-92), but you'll need to be accompanied to a back room to see them.
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Archaeology Museum
The acclaimed Archaeology Museum aims to inspire budding Indiana Jones, underlining how Lincolnshire's rich past can be uncovered by anyone at any time, a point neatly underscored by a wonderful Roman mosaic discovered during the museum's construction. Other exciting artefacts include an Iron Age votive sword and impressive 7m log dugout. Kids will have a blast with the games, touch screens, dress up and more.
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Bishops' Palace
Beside the cathedral are the time-ravaged but still imposing ruins of the 12th-century Bishops' Palace, gutted by parliamentary forces during the Civil War. From here, the local bishops once controlled a diocese stretching from the Humber to the Thames. You can roam around the ruins and undercroft in the company of an entertaining audio guide.
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Museum of Lincolnshire Life
A short trek north of the centre and set in an old Victorian barracks, this community museum displays everything from Victorian farm implements to the tin-can tank built in Lincoln for WWI. Round the corner from the museum is the cute little Ellis Mill, the windmill that used to grind the town's flour in the 18th century.
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Steep Hill
The whole length of Steep Hill is a delight to explore (at least until the climb back up), crowded with black-and-white Tudor beauties and curious antiquarian bookshops.
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walking tours
Guided walking tours run from outside the tourist office in Castle Hill daily from June to September, and at weekends in June, September and October.
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Newport Arch
Rough-edged Newport Arch was built by the Romans, and is the oldest arch in Britain that still has traffic passing through it.
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Ellis Mill
Round the corner from the Museum of Lincolnshire Life is cute little Ellis Mill windmill.
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Usher Gallery
Set in a handsome Edwardian building decorated with carvings of cow skulls, the town gallery has an impressive collection of works by such greats as Turner, Lowry and English watercolourist, Peter de Wint (1784–1849). The gallery is set to reopen after renovations in 2010.
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Lawn
The pretty grounds of the town's former lunatic asylum contain the ornamental Dawber Gardens and the Sir Joseph Banks Conservatory, containing descendants of some of the plants brought back by the botanist who accompanied Captain Cook to Australia.
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Collection
An angular, modernist museum where archaeology bursts into life, with loads of hands-on displays where kids can handle artefacts and dress up in period costume. Check out the crushed skull of a 4000-year-old 'yellowbelly' (the local term for, well, the locals), pulled from a Neolithic burial site near Sleaford.
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