Things to do in Lincolnshire
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Stokes High Bridge Café
A delightfully precarious-looking 16th-century half-timbered teashop.
reviewed
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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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Stamford Museum
The Stamford Museum has a muddle of displays on the town's history, including models of circus-performing midget Charles Stretton (aka Tom Thumb) and local heavyweight Daniel Lambert.
Stamford guides are fond of telling the story of the unfortunate Daniel Lambert, who was born a healthy baby in 1770, but who soon began to tip the scales at ever more alarming totals. Despite just eating one meal per day, he ballooned to an astounding 336kg and was hailed by contemporaries as 'the most corpulent man of whom authentic record exists'. When the reluctant celebrity died here in 1809 a wall of his house had to be taken down for the coffin to exit, and 20 pallbearers were needed …
reviewed
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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.
reviewed
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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.
reviewed
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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.
reviewed
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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.
reviewed
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Jew's House
Pass through the ancient round-arched doorway of this 12th-century stone house and you'll immediately know you're in for a treat. This ancient house, an attraction in its own right, is flush with antiques and oil paintings, and its award-winning Anglo-French cuisine will not disappoint. Dress smart and book ahead.
reviewed
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Wig & Mitre
Civilised pub-restaurant the Wig has been steadily upgrading its menu for three decades and now considers itself an upscale eatery despite retaining the mellow cosiness of an old-world watering hole. No music will disturb your meal here, and the candle-lit evening meals are good for romantic liaisons.
reviewed
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Victoria
A serious beer-drinker's pub with a pleasant patio looking up at the castle's western walls, Victoria has a huge selection of guest brews, cask ales, thick stouts and superb ciders and preserves a mellow historic ambience undisturbed by sports or flashy lights. The pub runs two beer festivals a year.
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Brown's Pie Shop
Forget Mrs Miggins and Sweeny Tod; this long- established pie shop is one of Lincoln's top restaurants, spread over a smart upstairs dining room and a cosy brick-lined basement. Come for hearty pies stuffed with locally-sourced beef, rabbit and game.
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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.
reviewed
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Meadow
This lovely semiformal restaurant in a 17th-century stone building serves traditional English dishes from sea bass to good ol' Lincolnshire sausages. It has a terrace at the back overlooking the meadows.
reviewed
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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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Ghost Walk
Also from the tourist office, a 1¼-hour Ghost Walk departs at 19:00 Wednesday, Thursday, Friday and Saturday.
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George, Restaurant
The oak-panelled restaurant at this wonderful riverside hotel serves classy British and international cuisine.
reviewed
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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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Woolsthorpe Manor
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William Browne Hospital
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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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