Lincoln

Lincoln rises steeply from the flat fenland that surrounds it, its cathedral visible for miles across Lincolnshire before you ever reach the city itself. For more than eight centuries that cathedral has crowned the hill alongside a Norman castle, and the medieval streets that connect them, cobbled Steep Hill chief among them, still follow their original lines. It is a small city that punches well above its size, with a concentration of historic buildings, independent traders and museums that few English cities of comparable population can match.

The city divides naturally into two halves. Uphill Lincoln, around the castle and cathedral, is the historic core: narrow lanes lined with Tudor timber-framed shops, stone townhouses and the Bishop's Palace, all within a few hundred yards of each other. Downhill, the city becomes more workaday and modern, built up around the High Street and the water of Brayford Pool, a broad medieval harbour now ringed by bars, restaurants and the University of Lincoln's waterside campus. The two halves are linked by Steep Hill itself, a punishingly steep cobbled street of independent bookshops, cafes and galleries that has been voted Britain's best shopping street more than once.

Lincoln's setting on the Lincoln Edge, a limestone ridge overlooking the Witham valley, also explains its long strategic importance. The Romans founded a legionary fortress here as Lindum Colonia; sections of Roman wall and the Newport Arch, the oldest arch in Britain still used by traffic, survive from that period. The Normans followed with the castle and the first cathedral, and much of what visitors see today, the guildhalls, the Jew's House, the High Bridge with its overhanging Tudor shops, dates from the medieval centuries when Lincoln was one of the wealthiest wool towns in England.

Top things to do in Lincoln

Lincoln rewards a couple of unhurried days rather than a flying visit, with most of its sights within easy walking distance of one another.

• Lincoln Cathedral is a Gothic masterpiece that was for centuries the tallest building in the world; climb its towers for views across the county and look out for the carved Lincoln Imp.
• Lincoln Castle stands opposite the cathedral and holds one of the four surviving original copies of Magna Carta, displayed alongside the 1217 Charter of the Forest in a purpose-built vault.
• Steep Hill is the cobbled medieval street connecting the two halves of the city, lined with independent bookshops, tearooms and antique dealers.
• The Collection and Usher Gallery bring together Lincolnshire's archaeology and fine art, from Roman finds to Peter de Wint watercolours and a fine Tennyson collection.
• Brayford Pool is the city's waterside quarter, a natural lake used as a harbour since Roman times and now lined with bars, restaurants and the university.
• Newport Arch, at the top of Bailgate, is the oldest Roman arch in the country still carrying traffic beneath it.
• The International Bomber Command Centre, just outside the city on Canwick Hill, tells the story of the airfields that once covered Lincolnshire, known during the Second World War as Bomber County.
• Lincolnshire Life Museum and the nearby Ellis Mill, a working Victorian windmill, give a picture of rural county life before the aircraft arrived.

Getting to Lincoln

Lincoln Central railway station sits at the bottom of the High Street, a short walk from Brayford Pool and a slightly longer climb up to the cathedral quarter. Direct services run from London King's Cross via Newark, with a typical journey time of around two hours, and from Nottingham, Sheffield and Peterborough. Cross-country connections mean a change is often needed for services from further afield, but Lincoln is well served from across the East Midlands and Yorkshire.

By road, Lincoln sits just off the A46, which links to the A1 to the west and the M180/M18 corridor to the north, and the A15, which runs south towards Peterborough and north to the Humber Bridge. There is no motorway directly into the city, so approach roads can be slow at peak times, particularly around the Pelham Bridge gyratory. Several park and ride sites operate on the edges of the city, and city centre car parks, including those at the Lawn and around the castle, get busy on market days and during events, so arriving early is worthwhile in summer.

Best time to visit Lincoln

Spring brings daffodils to the castle grounds and the Arboretum, and comfortable temperatures for the climb up Steep Hill without the crowds of high summer. It is a good time for cathedral visits, when light pours through the stained glass and queues are shorter.

Summer is Lincoln at its busiest, with outdoor events around Brayford Pool, longer opening hours at the castle and cathedral, and warm weather that makes the city's many green spaces, including the Arboretum and Hartsholme Country Park, particularly appealing.

Autumn suits those who want the city without the crowds: the university term begins, giving Lincoln a livelier evening atmosphere, and the changing colours in the Arboretum and along the Water Rail Way are a highlight.

Winter culminates in the Lincoln Christmas Market, one of the largest in Europe, held around the castle and cathedral over the first weekend of December, when the whole uphill area is given over to stalls, lights and crowds; book accommodation well ahead if visiting for it. Outside that weekend, winter is quiet and atmospheric, with the cathedral especially striking under low light.

Where to stay in Lincoln

Uphill, around Bailgate and Castle Hill, is the obvious choice for a first visit: independent shops, restaurants and the cathedral and castle are all on the doorstep, and the area is at its most atmospheric in the evening once the day-trip crowds have gone. It suits couples and anyone prioritising history and atmosphere over nightlife.

Downhill, around Brayford Pool and the High Street, offers more choice of chain hotels and easy access to the railway station, restaurants and bars, and works well for business visitors, families and anyone wanting to be close to transport links.

Further out, the South Common and Carholme Road areas offer good value guest houses within easy walking distance of the centre, a sensible base for longer stays or a driving holiday exploring the wider county.

Food and drink in Lincoln

Lincolnshire's food identity runs through the city's menus: Lincolnshire sausage, thick-cut and heavily seasoned with sage, appears on breakfast tables across the city, alongside Lincolnshire plum bread, a dense fruited loaf traditionally eaten with cheese. Stonebow Market and the surrounding independent butchers and delicatessens are good places to try both.

The Bailgate and Steep Hill areas hold the highest concentration of independent cafes and restaurants, from long-established tearooms to newer bistros serving modern British menus using Lincolnshire produce, including the county's asparagus, in season around Cathedral Quarter venues each May. Brayford Pool has a more contemporary strip of waterside restaurants and bars, popular with the university crowd and busy on weekend evenings.

Lincoln also has a strong pub tradition, with several historic coaching inns near the castle and cathedral serving cask ale from Lincolnshire breweries such as Bateman's, based in Wainfleet, alongside newer craft producers. The annual Lincoln Christmas Market brings food stalls selling mulled wine, roasted chestnuts and regional specialities into the streets around the cathedral each December.