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Lincolnshire (abbreviated Lincs.) is a
county A county is a geographic region of a country used for administrative or other purposesChambers Dictionary, L. Brookes (ed.), 2005, Chambers Harrap Publishers Ltd, Edinburgh in certain modern nations. The term is derived from the Old French ...
in the
East Midlands The East Midlands is one of nine official regions of England at the first level of ITL for statistical purposes. It comprises the eastern half of the area traditionally known as the Midlands. It consists of Leicestershire, Derbyshire, Li ...
of England, with a long coastline on the
North Sea The North Sea lies between Great Britain, Norway, Denmark, Germany, the Netherlands and Belgium. An epeiric sea on the European continental shelf, it connects to the Atlantic Ocean through the English Channel in the south and the Norwegian S ...
to the east. It borders
Norfolk Norfolk () is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan county in East Anglia in England. It borders Lincolnshire to the north-west, Cambridgeshire to the west and south-west, and Suffolk to the south. Its northern and eastern boundaries are the No ...
to the south-east,
Cambridgeshire Cambridgeshire (abbreviated Cambs.) is a Counties of England, county in the East of England, bordering Lincolnshire to the north, Norfolk to the north-east, Suffolk to the east, Essex and Hertfordshire to the south, and Bedfordshire and North ...
to the south,
Rutland Rutland () is a ceremonial county and unitary authority in the East Midlands, England. The county is bounded to the west and north by Leicestershire, to the northeast by Lincolnshire and the southeast by Northamptonshire. Its greatest len ...
to the south-west,
Leicestershire Leicestershire ( ; postal abbreviation Leics.) is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan county in the East Midlands, England. The county borders Nottinghamshire to the north, Lincolnshire to the north-east, Rutland to the east, Northamptonshire t ...
and
Nottinghamshire Nottinghamshire (; abbreviated Notts.) is a landlocked county in the East Midlands region of England, bordering South Yorkshire to the north-west, Lincolnshire to the east, Leicestershire to the south, and Derbyshire to the west. The traditi ...
to the west,
South Yorkshire South Yorkshire is a ceremonial and metropolitan county in the Yorkshire and Humber Region of England. The county has four council areas which are the cities of Doncaster and Sheffield as well as the boroughs of Barnsley and Rotherham. In N ...
to the north-west, and the
East Riding of Yorkshire The East Riding of Yorkshire, or simply East Riding or East Yorkshire, is a ceremonial county and unitary authority area in the Yorkshire and the Humber region of England. It borders North Yorkshire to the north and west, South Yorkshire to t ...
to the north. It also borders
Northamptonshire Northamptonshire (; abbreviated Northants.) is a county in the East Midlands of England. In 2015, it had a population of 723,000. The county is administered by two unitary authorities: North Northamptonshire and West Northamptonshire. It is ...
in the south for just , England's shortest county boundary. The
county town In the United Kingdom and Ireland, a county town is the most important town or city in a county. It is usually the location of administrative or judicial functions within a county and the place where the county's members of Parliament are elect ...
is
Lincoln Lincoln most commonly refers to: * Abraham Lincoln (1809–1865), the sixteenth president of the United States * Lincoln, England, cathedral city and county town of Lincolnshire, England * Lincoln, Nebraska, the capital of Nebraska, U.S. * Lincoln ...
, where the
county council A county council is the elected administrative body governing an area known as a county. This term has slightly different meanings in different countries. Ireland The county councils created under British rule in 1899 continue to exist in Irela ...
is also based. The
ceremonial county The counties and areas for the purposes of the lieutenancies, also referred to as the lieutenancy areas of England and informally known as ceremonial counties, are areas of England to which lords-lieutenant are appointed. Legally, the areas i ...
of Lincolnshire consists of the
non-metropolitan county A non-metropolitan county, or colloquially, shire county, is a county-level entity in England that is not a metropolitan county. The counties typically have populations of 300,000 to 1.8 million. The term ''shire county'' is, however, an unoffi ...
of Lincolnshire and the area covered by the
unitary authorities A unitary authority is a local authority responsible for all local government functions within its area or performing additional functions that elsewhere are usually performed by a higher level of sub-national government or the national governmen ...
of
North Lincolnshire North Lincolnshire is a unitary authority area in Lincolnshire, England, with a population of 167,446 in the 2011 census. The borough includes the towns of Scunthorpe, Brigg, Haxey, Crowle, Epworth, Bottesford, Kirton in Lindsey and Barton ...
and
North East Lincolnshire North East Lincolnshire is a Unitary authority area with borough status in Lincolnshire, England. It borders the borough of North Lincolnshire and districts of West Lindsey and East Lindsey. The population of the district in the 2011 Census was ...
. Part of the ceremonial county is in the
Yorkshire and the Humber Yorkshire and the Humber is one of nine official regions of England at the first level of ITL for statistical purposes. The population in 2011 was 5,284,000 with its largest settlements being Leeds, Sheffield, Bradford, Hull, and York. It is ...
region of England The regions, formerly known as the government office regions, are the highest tier of sub-national division in England, established in 1994. Between 1994 and 2011, nine regions had officially devolved functions within government. While they no ...
, and most is in the
East Midlands The East Midlands is one of nine official regions of England at the first level of ITL for statistical purposes. It comprises the eastern half of the area traditionally known as the Midlands. It consists of Leicestershire, Derbyshire, Li ...
region. The county is the second-largest of the English ceremonial counties and one that is predominantly agricultural in land use. The county is fourth-largest of the two-tier counties, as the unitary authorities of North Lincolnshire and North East Lincolnshire are not included. The county has several geographical sub-regions, including the rolling chalk hills of the
Lincolnshire Wolds The Lincolnshire Wolds are a range of low hills in the county of Lincolnshire, England which run roughly parallel with the North Sea coast, from the Humber Estuary in the north-west to the edge of the Lincolnshire Fens in the south-east. They a ...
, the
Lincolnshire Fens The Fens, also known as the , in eastern England are a naturally marshy region supporting a rich ecology and numerous species. Most of the fens were drained centuries ago, resulting in a flat, dry, low-lying agricultural region supported by a ...
(south-east Lincolnshire), the Carrs (similar to the Fens but in north Lincolnshire), the industrial
Humber Estuary The Humber is a large tidal estuary on the east coast of Northern England. It is formed at Trent Falls, Faxfleet, by the confluence of the tidal rivers Ouse and Trent. From there to the North Sea, it forms part of the boundary between the ...
and
North Sea The North Sea lies between Great Britain, Norway, Denmark, Germany, the Netherlands and Belgium. An epeiric sea on the European continental shelf, it connects to the Atlantic Ocean through the English Channel in the south and the Norwegian S ...
coast around
Grimsby Grimsby or Great Grimsby is a port town and the administrative centre of North East Lincolnshire, Lincolnshire, England. Grimsby adjoins the town of Cleethorpes directly to the south-east forming a conurbation. Grimsby is north-east of Linco ...
and
Scunthorpe Scunthorpe () is an industrial town and unparished area in the unitary authority of North Lincolnshire in Lincolnshire, England of which it is the main administrative centre. Scunthorpe had an estimated total population of 82,334 in 2016. A pre ...
, and in the south-west of the county, the Kesteven Uplands, rolling limestone hills in the district of
South Kesteven South Kesteven is a Non-metropolitan district, local government district in Lincolnshire, England, forming part of the traditional Kesteven division of the county. It covers Bourne, Lincolnshire, Bourne, Grantham, Market Deeping and Stamford, Li ...
.


History

During pre-Roman times, most of Lincolnshire was inhabited by the
Corieltauvi The Corieltauvi (also the Coritani, and the Corieltavi) were a tribe of people living in Britain prior to the Roman conquest, and thereafter a ''civitas'' of Roman Britain. Their territory was in what is now the English East Midlands. They were b ...
people. The language of the area at that time would have been
Common Brittonic Common Brittonic ( cy, Brythoneg; kw, Brythonek; br, Predeneg), also known as British, Common Brythonic, or Proto-Brittonic, was a Celtic language spoken in Britain and Brittany. It is a form of Insular Celtic, descended from Proto-Celtic, a ...
, the precursor to modern Welsh. The name ''Lincoln'' was derived from
Lindum Colonia Lindum Colonia was the Latin name for the settlement which is now the City of Lincoln in Lincolnshire. It was founded as a Roman Legionary Fortress during the reign of the Emperor Nero (58–68 AD) or possibly later. Evidence from Roman tomb ...
. Large numbers of Germanic speakers from continental Europe settled in the region following the withdrawal of the Romans. Though these were later identified as
Angles The Angles ( ang, Ængle, ; la, Angli) were one of the main Germanic peoples who settled in Great Britain in the post-Roman period. They founded several kingdoms of the Heptarchy in Anglo-Saxon England. Their name is the root of the name ' ...
, it is unlikely that they migrated as part of an organized tribal group. Thus, the main language of the region quickly became
Old English Old English (, ), or Anglo-Saxon, is the earliest recorded form of the English language, spoken in England and southern and eastern Scotland in the early Middle Ages. It was brought to Great Britain by Anglo-Saxon settlement of Britain, Anglo ...
. However, it is possible that Brittonic continued to be spoken in some communities as late as the eighth century. Modern-day Lincolnshire is derived from the merging of the territory of the
Kingdom of Lindsey The Kingdom of Lindsey or Linnuis ( ang, Lindesege) was a lesser Anglo-Saxon kingdom, which was absorbed into Northumbria in the 7th century. The name Lindsey derives from the Old English toponym , meaning "Isle of Lind". was the Roman name of th ...
with that controlled by the
Danelaw The Danelaw (, also known as the Danelagh; ang, Dena lagu; da, Danelagen) was the part of England in which the laws of the Danes held sway and dominated those of the Anglo-Saxons. The Danelaw contrasts with the West Saxon law and the Mercian ...
borough A borough is an administrative division in various English-speaking countries. In principle, the term ''borough'' designates a self-governing walled town, although in practice, official use of the term varies widely. History In the Middle Ag ...
of Stamford. For some time the entire county was called "Lindsey", and it is recorded as such in the 11th-century ''
Domesday Book Domesday Book () – the Middle English spelling of "Doomsday Book" – is a manuscript record of the "Great Survey" of much of England and parts of Wales completed in 1086 by order of King William I, known as William the Conqueror. The manusc ...
.'' Later, the name
Lindsey Lindsey may refer to : Places Canada * Lindsey Lake, Nova Scotia England * Parts of Lindsey, one of the historic Parts of Lincolnshire and an administrative county from 1889 to 1974 ** East Lindsey, an administrative district in Lincolnshire, a ...
was applied to the northern core, around Lincoln. This emerged as one of the three
Parts of Lincolnshire The three parts of the English county of Lincolnshire are or were divisions of the second-largest county in England. Similar in nature to the three ridings of Yorkshire, they existed as local government units until commencement of the Local Gov ...
, along with the Parts of
Holland Holland is a geographical regionG. Geerts & H. Heestermans, 1981, ''Groot Woordenboek der Nederlandse Taal. Deel I'', Van Dale Lexicografie, Utrecht, p 1105 and former province on the western coast of the Netherlands. From the 10th to the 16th c ...
in the south-east, and the Parts of
Kesteven The Parts of Kesteven ( or ) are a traditional division of Lincolnshire, England. This division had long had a separate county administration (quarter sessions), along with the two other Parts of Lincolnshire, Lindsey and Holland. Etymology Th ...
in the south-west, which each had separate
Quarter Sessions The courts of quarter sessions or quarter sessions were local courts traditionally held at four set times each year in the Kingdom of England from 1388 (extending also to Wales following the Laws in Wales Act 1535). They were also established in ...
as their county administrations. In 1888 when
county council A county council is the elected administrative body governing an area known as a county. This term has slightly different meanings in different countries. Ireland The county councils created under British rule in 1899 continue to exist in Irela ...
s were set up, Lindsey, Holland and Kesteven each received separate ones. These survived until 1974, when Holland, Kesteven, and most of Lindsey were unified into Lincolnshire. The northern part of Lindsey, including
Scunthorpe Scunthorpe () is an industrial town and unparished area in the unitary authority of North Lincolnshire in Lincolnshire, England of which it is the main administrative centre. Scunthorpe had an estimated total population of 82,334 in 2016. A pre ...
Municipal Borough and
Grimsby Grimsby or Great Grimsby is a port town and the administrative centre of North East Lincolnshire, Lincolnshire, England. Grimsby adjoins the town of Cleethorpes directly to the south-east forming a conurbation. Grimsby is north-east of Linco ...
County Borough, was incorporated into the newly formed
non-metropolitan county A non-metropolitan county, or colloquially, shire county, is a county-level entity in England that is not a metropolitan county. The counties typically have populations of 300,000 to 1.8 million. The term ''shire county'' is, however, an unoffi ...
of
Humberside Humberside () was a non-metropolitan and ceremonial county in Northern England from 1 April 1974 until 1 April 1996. It was composed of land from either side of the Humber Estuary, created from portions of the East Riding of Yorkshire, West ...
, along with most of the
East Riding of Yorkshire The East Riding of Yorkshire, or simply East Riding or East Yorkshire, is a ceremonial county and unitary authority area in the Yorkshire and the Humber region of England. It borders North Yorkshire to the north and west, South Yorkshire to t ...
. A local government reform in 1996 abolished Humberside. The land south of the Humber Estuary was allocated to the
unitary authorities A unitary authority is a local authority responsible for all local government functions within its area or performing additional functions that elsewhere are usually performed by a higher level of sub-national government or the national governmen ...
of
North Lincolnshire North Lincolnshire is a unitary authority area in Lincolnshire, England, with a population of 167,446 in the 2011 census. The borough includes the towns of Scunthorpe, Brigg, Haxey, Crowle, Epworth, Bottesford, Kirton in Lindsey and Barton ...
and
North East Lincolnshire North East Lincolnshire is a Unitary authority area with borough status in Lincolnshire, England. It borders the borough of North Lincolnshire and districts of West Lindsey and East Lindsey. The population of the district in the 2011 Census was ...
. These two areas became part of Lincolnshire for ceremonial purposes, such as the Lord-Lieutenancy, but are not covered by the Lincolnshire police; they are in the
Yorkshire and the Humber Yorkshire and the Humber is one of nine official regions of England at the first level of ITL for statistical purposes. The population in 2011 was 5,284,000 with its largest settlements being Leeds, Sheffield, Bradford, Hull, and York. It is ...
region. The remaining districts of Lincolnshire are
Boston Boston (), officially the City of Boston, is the state capital and most populous city of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, as well as the cultural and financial center of the New England region of the United States. It is the 24th- mo ...
,
East Lindsey East Lindsey is a local government district in Lincolnshire, England. The population of the district council was 136,401 at the 2011 census. The council is based in Manby. Other major settlements in the district include Alford, Wragby, Spilsby ...
, Lincoln,
North Kesteven North Kesteven is a local government district in Lincolnshire, England. The district is located to the east of Nottinghamshire, north-east of Leicestershire and south of the city of Lincoln. Its council, North Kesteven District Council, is bas ...
,
South Holland South Holland ( nl, Zuid-Holland ) is a province of the Netherlands with a population of over 3.7 million as of October 2021 and a population density of about , making it the country's most populous province and one of the world's most densely ...
,
South Kesteven South Kesteven is a Non-metropolitan district, local government district in Lincolnshire, England, forming part of the traditional Kesteven division of the county. It covers Bourne, Lincolnshire, Bourne, Grantham, Market Deeping and Stamford, Li ...
, and
West Lindsey West Lindsey is a local government district in Lincolnshire, England. Its council is based in Gainsborough. History The district was formed on 1 April 1974, from the urban districts of Gainsborough, Market Rasen, along with Caistor Rural Distr ...
. They are part of the
East Midlands The East Midlands is one of nine official regions of England at the first level of ITL for statistical purposes. It comprises the eastern half of the area traditionally known as the Midlands. It consists of Leicestershire, Derbyshire, Li ...
region. The area was shaken by the 27 February
2008 Lincolnshire earthquake On 27 February 2008 at 00:56:47.8s GMT an earthquake occurred at Market Rasen, Lincolnshire. According to the British Geological Survey the earthquake registered a reading of 5.2 on the Richter scale, with its epicentre 2.5 miles (4&n ...
, reaching between 4.7 and 5.3 on the
Richter magnitude scale The Richter scale —also called the Richter magnitude scale, Richter's magnitude scale, and the Gutenberg–Richter scale—is a measure of the strength of earthquakes, developed by Charles Francis Richter and presented in his landmark 1935 ...
; it was one of the largest earthquakes to affect Britain in recent years. Lincolnshire is home to
Woolsthorpe Manor Woolsthorpe Manor in Woolsthorpe-by-Colsterworth, near Grantham, Lincolnshire Lincolnshire (abbreviated Lincs.) is a county in the East Midlands of England, with a long coastline on the North Sea to the east. It borders Norfolk to the so ...
, birthplace and home of Sir
Isaac Newton Sir Isaac Newton (25 December 1642 â€“ 20 March 1726/27) was an English mathematician, physicist, astronomer, alchemist, theologian, and author (described in his time as a "natural philosopher"), widely recognised as one of the grea ...
. He attended
The King's School, Grantham The King's School is a British grammar school with academy status, in the market town of Grantham, Lincolnshire, England. The school's history can be traced to 1329, and was re-endowed by Richard Foxe in 1528. Located on Brook Street, the sch ...
. Its library has preserved his signature, carved into a window sill when he was a youth. File: Belton House 2006 Giano.jpg,
Belton House Belton House is a Grade I listed country house in the parish of Belton near Grantham in Lincolnshire, England, built between 1685 and 1688 by Sir John Brownlow, 3rd Baronet. It is surrounded by formal gardens and a series of avenues leading t ...
File: Stump&Ingram.jpeg,
Boston Stump St Botolph's Church is the Anglican parish church A parish church in the Church of England is the church which acts as the religious centre for the people within each Church of England parish (the smallest and most basic Church of England a ...
File: Gainsborough Old Hall.jpg,
Gainsborough Old Hall Gainsborough Old Hall in Gainsborough, Lincolnshire is over five hundred years old and one of the best preserved medieval manor houses in England. The hall was built by Sir Thomas Burgh in 1460. The Burghs were rich, flamboyant and powerful. Gai ...
File: Harlaxton manor.jpg,
Harlaxton Manor Harlaxton is a village and civil parish in the South Kesteven district of Lincolnshire, England. It lies on the edge of the Vale of Belvoir and just off the A607, south-west from Grantham and north-east from Melton Mowbray. History Ae ...
File: Normanby Hall, Lincs (geograph 56340).jpg,
Normanby Hall Normanby Hall is a classic English mansion, located near the village of Burton-upon-Stather, north of Scunthorpe, North Lincolnshire. History The present hall was built in 1825–30 to the designs of Robert Smirke for Sir Robert Sheffie ...
File: Tattershall Castle, 2006.jpg,
Tattershall Castle Tattershall Castle is a castle in Tattershall, Lincolnshire, England, about 12 miles (19 km) north east of Sleaford. Since 1925 it has been in the care of the National Trust. History Tattershall Castle has its origins in either a sto ...
File: Thornton Abbey Gatehouse1.jpg,
Thornton Abbey Thornton Abbey was a medieval abbey located close to the small North Lincolnshire village of Thornton Curtis, near Ulceby, and directly south of Hull on the other side of the Humber estuary. Its ruins are a Grade I listed building, including not ...
File:Louth Church in 2021.jpg,
St James' Church, Louth St James' Church, Louth is the Anglican parish church of Louth in Lincolnshire, England. It is notable for having the third tallest spire in the whole of the United Kingdom and being the location of the Lincolnshire Rising. History The church ...


Geography

The geographical layout of Lincolnshire is quite extensive and mostly separated by many rivers and rolling countryside. The north of the county begins from where the
Isle of Axholme The Isle of Axholme is a geographical area in England: a part of North Lincolnshire that adjoins South Yorkshire. It is located between the towns of Scunthorpe and Gainsborough, both of which are in the traditional West Riding of Lindsey, and D ...
is located near the meeting points of the rivers
Ouse Ouse may refer to: Places Rivers in England * River Ouse, Yorkshire * River Ouse, Sussex * River Great Ouse, Northamptonshire and East Anglia ** River Little Ouse, a tributary of the River Great Ouse Other places * Ouse, Tasmania, a town in Au ...
and
Trent Trent may refer to: Places Italy * Trento in northern Italy, site of the Council of Trent United Kingdom * Trent, Dorset, England, United Kingdom Germany * Trent, Germany, a municipality on the island of Rügen United States * Trent, California, ...
near to the
Humber The Humber is a large tidal estuary on the east coast of Northern England. It is formed at Trent Falls, Faxfleet, by the confluence of the tidal rivers Ouse and Trent. From there to the North Sea, it forms part of the boundary between th ...
. From there, the southside of the Humber esturary forms the border between Lincolnshire and the
East Riding of Yorkshire The East Riding of Yorkshire, or simply East Riding or East Yorkshire, is a ceremonial county and unitary authority area in the Yorkshire and the Humber region of England. It borders North Yorkshire to the north and west, South Yorkshire to t ...
. From there, the south bank of the Humber Estuary where the Humber Bridge crosses the estuary at
Barton upon Humber Barton-upon-Humber () or Barton is a town and civil parish in North Lincolnshire, England. The population at the 2011 census was 11,066. It is situated on the south bank of the Humber Estuary at the southern end of the Humber Bridge. It is so ...
, is used primarily for the
shipping port A port is a maritime facility comprising one or more wharves or loading areas, where ships load and discharge cargo and passengers. Although usually situated on a sea coast or estuary, ports can also be found far inland, such as Ham ...
s at
Immingham Immingham is a town, civil parish and ward in the North East Lincolnshire unitary authority of England. It is situated on the south-west bank of the Humber Estuary, and is north-west from Grimsby. The region was relatively unpopulated and un ...
, New Holland and
Grimsby Grimsby or Great Grimsby is a port town and the administrative centre of North East Lincolnshire, Lincolnshire, England. Grimsby adjoins the town of Cleethorpes directly to the south-east forming a conurbation. Grimsby is north-east of Linco ...
. From there, the rest of the southern bank forms the
Lincolnshire Coast The coast of Lincolnshire runs for more than down the North Sea coast of eastern England, from the estuary of the Humber (which divides it from East Yorkshire) to the marshlands of the Wash, where it meets Norfolk. This stretch of coastline has lo ...
from
Cleethorpes Cleethorpes () is a seaside town on the estuary of the Humber in North East Lincolnshire, England with a population of 38,372 in 2020. It has been permanently occupied since the 6th century, with fishing as its original industry, then develo ...
to
Mablethorpe Mablethorpe is a seaside town in the East Lindsey district of Lincolnshire, England, part of the civil parish of Mablethorpe and Sutton.OS Explorer map 283:Louth and Mablethorpe: (1:25 000): The population including nearby Sutton-on-Sea was 12, ...
and then onto
Skegness Skegness ( ) is a seaside town and civil parish in the East Lindsey District of Lincolnshire, England. On the Lincolnshire coast of the North Sea, the town is east of Lincoln and north-east of Boston. With a population of 19,579 as of 2011, i ...
. From Skegness, the rest of the Lincolnshire Coastline forms the sea boundary and border with
Norfolk Norfolk () is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan county in East Anglia in England. It borders Lincolnshire to the north-west, Cambridgeshire to the west and south-west, and Suffolk to the south. Its northern and eastern boundaries are the No ...
at the
Wash WASH (or Watsan, WaSH) is an acronym that stands for "water, sanitation and hygiene". It is used widely by non-governmental organizations and aid agencies in developing countries. The purposes of providing access to WASH services include achievin ...
. The coast then at
Boston Boston (), officially the City of Boston, is the state capital and most populous city of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, as well as the cultural and financial center of the New England region of the United States. It is the 24th- mo ...
becomes the meeting point of the rivers
Welland Welland is a city in the Regional Municipality of Niagara in Southern Ontario, Canada. As of 2021, it had a population of 55,750. The city is in the centre of Niagara and located within a half-hour driving distance to Niagara Falls, Niagara-o ...
and Haven. The rest of the county boundary runs roughly to the point of
Sutton Bridge Sutton Bridge is a village and civil parish in the South Holland district of Lincolnshire, England. It is situated on the A17 road, north from Wisbech and west from King's Lynn. The village includes a commercial dock on the west bank of t ...
, which is separated from
Norfolk Norfolk () is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan county in East Anglia in England. It borders Lincolnshire to the north-west, Cambridgeshire to the west and south-west, and Suffolk to the south. Its northern and eastern boundaries are the No ...
by the
River Nene The River Nene ( or : see below) is a river in the east of England that rises from three sources in Northamptonshire.OS Explorer Map sheet 223, Northampton & Market Harborough, Brixworth & Pitsford Water. The river is about long, about of w ...
which begins to branch off from the North Sea. The border with Lincolnshire to
Cambridgeshire Cambridgeshire (abbreviated Cambs.) is a Counties of England, county in the East of England, bordering Lincolnshire to the north, Norfolk to the north-east, Suffolk to the east, Essex and Hertfordshire to the south, and Bedfordshire and North ...
begins at
Crowland Crowland (modern usage) or Croyland (medieval era name and the one still in ecclesiastical use; cf. la, Croilandia) is a town in the South Holland district of Lincolnshire, England. It is situated between Peterborough and Spalding. Crowland c ...
,
Market Deeping Market Deeping is a market town and civil parish in the South Kesteven district of Lincolnshire, England, on the north bank of the River Welland and the A15 road. The population of the town at the 2011 census was 6,008. History The town's mark ...
and Stamford which form the southern boundary of the county with both
Peterborough Peterborough () is a cathedral city in Cambridgeshire, east of England. It is the largest part of the City of Peterborough unitary authority district (which covers a larger area than Peterborough itself). It was part of Northamptonshire until ...
,
Rutland Rutland () is a ceremonial county and unitary authority in the East Midlands, England. The county is bounded to the west and north by Leicestershire, to the northeast by Lincolnshire and the southeast by Northamptonshire. Its greatest len ...
and briefly
Northamptonshire Northamptonshire (; abbreviated Northants.) is a county in the East Midlands of England. In 2015, it had a population of 723,000. The county is administered by two unitary authorities: North Northamptonshire and West Northamptonshire. It is ...
. From there, the border with
Leicestershire Leicestershire ( ; postal abbreviation Leics.) is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan county in the East Midlands, England. The county borders Nottinghamshire to the north, Lincolnshire to the north-east, Rutland to the east, Northamptonshire t ...
and
Nottinghamshire Nottinghamshire (; abbreviated Notts.) is a landlocked county in the East Midlands region of England, bordering South Yorkshire to the north-west, Lincolnshire to the east, Leicestershire to the south, and Derbyshire to the west. The traditi ...
begins at
Sleaford Sleaford is a market town and Civil parishes in England, civil parish in the North Kesteven district of Lincolnshire, England. Centred on the former parish of New Sleaford, the modern boundaries and urban area include Quarrington, Lincolnshire, ...
,
Grantham Grantham () is a market and industrial town in the South Kesteven district of Lincolnshire, England, situated on the banks of the River Witham and bounded to the west by the A1 road. It lies some 23 miles (37 km) south of the Lincoln and ...
,
Lincoln Lincoln most commonly refers to: * Abraham Lincoln (1809–1865), the sixteenth president of the United States * Lincoln, England, cathedral city and county town of Lincolnshire, England * Lincoln, Nebraska, the capital of Nebraska, U.S. * Lincoln ...
and
Gainsborough Gainsborough or Gainsboro may refer to: Places * Gainsborough, Ipswich, Suffolk, England ** Gainsborough Ward, Ipswich * Gainsborough, Lincolnshire, a town in England ** Gainsborough (UK Parliament constituency) * Gainsborough, New South Wales, ...
. From Gainsborough, the border with
South Yorkshire South Yorkshire is a ceremonial and metropolitan county in the Yorkshire and Humber Region of England. The county has four council areas which are the cities of Doncaster and Sheffield as well as the boroughs of Barnsley and Rotherham. In N ...
begins at
Haxey Haxey is a town and civil parish on the Isle of Axholme in North Lincolnshire, England. It is directly south of Epworth, south-west of Scunthorpe, north-west of Gainsborough, east of Doncaster and north-west of Lincoln, with a population of 4, ...
and Epworth before looping back to the original north of the county near
Scunthorpe Scunthorpe () is an industrial town and unparished area in the unitary authority of North Lincolnshire in Lincolnshire, England of which it is the main administrative centre. Scunthorpe had an estimated total population of 82,334 in 2016. A pre ...
with East Riding of Yorkshire at the Isle of Axholme and
Goole Goole is a port town and civil parish on the River Ouse in the East Riding of Yorkshire, England. The town's historic county is the West Riding of Yorkshire. According to the 2011 UK census, Goole parish had a population of 19,518, an increa ...
. Bedrock in Lincolnshire features Jurassic
limestone Limestone ( calcium carbonate ) is a type of carbonate sedimentary rock which is the main source of the material lime. It is composed mostly of the minerals calcite and aragonite, which are different crystal forms of . Limestone forms whe ...
(near Lincoln) and Cretaceous
chalk Chalk is a soft, white, porous, sedimentary carbonate rock. It is a form of limestone composed of the mineral calcite and originally formed deep under the sea by the compression of microscopic plankton that had settled to the sea floor. Chalk ...
(north-east). The area around
Woodhall Spa Woodhall Spa is a former spa Village and civil parish in Lincolnshire, England, on the southern edge of the Lincolnshire Wolds, south-west of Horncastle, west of Skegness, east-south-east of Lincoln and north-west of Boston. It is noted for ...
and
Kirkby on Bain Kirkby on Bain is a village and civil parish in the East Lindsey district of Lincolnshire, England. It lies on the River Bain between Horncastle and Coningsby, and just west of the A153 road. Close to the north is the village of Haltham. Hi ...
is dominated by gravel and sand. For much of prehistory, Lincolnshire was under tropical seas, and most fossils found in the county are marine invertebrates. Marine vertebrates have also been found including
ichthyosaurus ''Ichthyosaurus'' (derived from Greek ' () meaning 'fish' and ' () meaning 'lizard') is a genus of ichthyosaurs from the Early Jurassic ( Hettangian - Pliensbachian), with possible Late Triassic record, from Europe (Belgium, England, Germany, S ...
and
plesiosaur The Plesiosauria (; Greek: πλησίος, ''plesios'', meaning "near to" and ''sauros'', meaning "lizard") or plesiosaurs are an order or clade of extinct Mesozoic marine reptiles, belonging to the Sauropterygia. Plesiosaurs first appeared ...
. The highest point in Lincolnshire is
Wolds Top Wolds Top, also known as Normanby Hill, is the highest point of the Lincolnshire Wolds. The summit elevation is . It lies some distance to the north of the village of Normanby le Wold in Lincolnshire. The Viking Way passes close by, on a minor r ...
(), at
Normanby le Wold Normanby le Wold is a village and civil parish in the West Lindsey district of Lincolnshire, England. It is in the Lincolnshire Wolds, an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, and about south from the town of Caistor, and north-east from the city ...
. Some parts of
the Fens The Fens, also known as the , in eastern England are a naturally marshy region supporting a rich ecology and numerous species. Most of the fens were drained centuries ago, resulting in a flat, dry, low-lying agricultural region supported by a ...
may be below sea level. The nearest mountains are in Derbyshire. The biggest rivers in Lincolnshire are the
Trent Trent may refer to: Places Italy * Trento in northern Italy, site of the Council of Trent United Kingdom * Trent, Dorset, England, United Kingdom Germany * Trent, Germany, a municipality on the island of Rügen United States * Trent, California, ...
, running northwards from
Staffordshire Staffordshire (; postal abbreviation Staffs.) is a landlocked county in the West Midlands region of England. It borders Cheshire to the northwest, Derbyshire and Leicestershire to the east, Warwickshire to the southeast, the West Midlands Cou ...
up the western edge of the county to the
Humber The Humber is a large tidal estuary on the east coast of Northern England. It is formed at Trent Falls, Faxfleet, by the confluence of the tidal rivers Ouse and Trent. From there to the North Sea, it forms part of the boundary between th ...
estuary, and the
Witham Witham () is a town in the county of Essex in the East of England, with a population ( 2011 census) of 25,353. It is part of the District of Braintree and is twinned with the town of Waldbröl, Germany. Witham stands between the city of Chelms ...
, which begins in Lincolnshire at
South Witham South Witham is a village and civil parish in the South Kesteven district of Lincolnshire, England. The population of the civil parish at the 2011 census was 1,533. It is situated south of Grantham, 10 miles east of Melton Mowbray and 10 miles ...
and runs for through the middle of the county, eventually emptying into the
North Sea The North Sea lies between Great Britain, Norway, Denmark, Germany, the Netherlands and Belgium. An epeiric sea on the European continental shelf, it connects to the Atlantic Ocean through the English Channel in the south and the Norwegian S ...
at
The Wash The Wash is a rectangular bay and multiple estuary at the north-west corner of East Anglia on the East coast of England, where Norfolk, England, Norfolk meets Lincolnshire and both border the North Sea. One of Britain's broadest estuaries, it i ...
. The Humber estuary, on Lincolnshire's northern border, is also fed by the River Ouse. The Wash is also the mouth of the
Welland Welland is a city in the Regional Municipality of Niagara in Southern Ontario, Canada. As of 2021, it had a population of 55,750. The city is in the centre of Niagara and located within a half-hour driving distance to Niagara Falls, Niagara-o ...
, the Nene and the
Great Ouse The River Great Ouse () is a river in England, the longest of several British rivers called "Ouse". From Syresham in Northamptonshire, the Great Ouse flows through Buckinghamshire, Bedfordshire, Cambridgeshire and Norfolk to drain into the Wa ...
. Lincolnshire's geography is fairly varied, but consists of several distinct areas: *
Lincolnshire Wolds The Lincolnshire Wolds are a range of low hills in the county of Lincolnshire, England which run roughly parallel with the North Sea coast, from the Humber Estuary in the north-west to the edge of the Lincolnshire Fens in the south-east. They a ...
: area of rolling hills in the north-east of the county designated an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty *
The Fens The Fens, also known as the , in eastern England are a naturally marshy region supporting a rich ecology and numerous species. Most of the fens were drained centuries ago, resulting in a flat, dry, low-lying agricultural region supported by a ...
: dominating the south-east quarter of the county *
The Marshes The Marshes are an American punk band, from Northampton, Massachusetts, that originally included Colin Sears (drums), Emil Busi (bass, vocals) and Steven Wardlaw (guitar). Career Drummer Colin Sears, who was best known for playing with Dag Nasty ...
: running along the coast of the county * Lincoln Edge or Cliff: limestone escarpment running north–south along the western half of the county Lincolnshire's most well-known nature reserves include
Gibraltar Point Gibraltar Point may refer to: * Gibraltar Point, Lincolnshire, a national nature reserve located in England * Gibraltar Point Lighthouse, a lighthouse located in Toronto, Canada * Gibraltar Point Blockhouse, a blockhouse located in Toronto, Canada ...
National Nature Reserve,
Whisby Nature Park Whisby Moor is a small moor situated close to the A46 road, west of North Hykeham, in the North Kesteven district of Lincolnshire, England. Geography Whisby Moor is situated geographically south-west from Lincoln city centre, with the village ...
Local Nature Reserve,
Donna Nook Donna Nook is a point on the low-lying coast of north Lincolnshire, England, north of the village of North Somercotes and south of Grimsby. The area, a salt marsh, is used by a number of Royal Air Force stations in Lincolnshire for bombing pract ...
National Nature Reserve, RSPB Frampton Marsh and the Humberhead Peatlands National Nature Reserve. Although the Lincolnshire countryside is intensively farmed, there are many biodiverse wetland areas, as well as rare limewood forests. Much of the county was once wet fenland (see
The Fens The Fens, also known as the , in eastern England are a naturally marshy region supporting a rich ecology and numerous species. Most of the fens were drained centuries ago, resulting in a flat, dry, low-lying agricultural region supported by a ...
). From bones, we can tell that animal species formerly found in Lincolnshire include
woolly mammoth The woolly mammoth (''Mammuthus primigenius'') is an extinct species of mammoth that lived during the Pleistocene until its extinction in the Holocene epoch. It was one of the last in a line of mammoth species, beginning with '' Mammuthus subp ...
,
woolly rhinoceros The woolly rhinoceros (''Coelodonta antiquitatis'') is an extinct species of rhinoceros that was common throughout Europe and Asia during the Pleistocene epoch and survived until the end of the last glacial period. The woolly rhinoceros was a me ...
,
wild horse The wild horse (''Equus ferus'') is a species of the genus ''Equus'', which includes as subspecies the modern domesticated horse (''Equus ferus caballus'') as well as the endangered Przewalski's horse (''Equus ferus przewalskii''). The Europea ...
,
wolf The wolf (''Canis lupus''; : wolves), also known as the gray wolf or grey wolf, is a large canine native to Eurasia and North America. More than thirty subspecies of ''Canis lupus'' have been recognized, and gray wolves, as popularly u ...
,
wild boar The wild boar (''Sus scrofa''), also known as the wild swine, common wild pig, Eurasian wild pig, or simply wild pig, is a suid native to much of Eurasia and North Africa, and has been introduced to the Americas and Oceania. The species is ...
and
beaver Beavers are large, semiaquatic rodents in the genus ''Castor'' native to the temperate Northern Hemisphere. There are two extant species: the North American beaver (''Castor canadensis'') and the Eurasian beaver (''C. fiber''). Beavers ar ...
. Species which have recently returned to Lincolnshire after
extirpation Local extinction, also known as extirpation, refers to a species (or other taxon) of plant or animal that ceases to exist in a chosen geographic area of study, though it still exists elsewhere. Local extinctions are contrasted with global extinct ...
include little egret,
Eurasian spoonbill The Eurasian spoonbill (''Platalea leucorodia''), or common spoonbill, is a wading bird of the ibis and spoonbill family Threskiornithidae. The genus name ''Platalea'' is from Latin and means "broad", referring to the distinctive shape of the b ...
,
European otter The Eurasian otter (''Lutra lutra''), also known as the European otter, Eurasian river otter, common otter, and Old World otter, is a semiaquatic mammal native to Eurasia. The most widely distributed member of the otter subfamily (Lutrinae) of th ...
and
red kite The red kite (''Milvus milvus'') is a medium-large bird of prey in the family Accipitridae, which also includes many other diurnal raptors such as eagles, buzzards, and harriers. The species currently breeds in the Western Palearctic region o ...
.


Governance

Lincolnshire County Council Lincolnshire (abbreviated Lincs.) is a Counties of England, county in the East Midlands of England, with a long coastline on the North Sea to the east. It borders Norfolk to the south-east, Cambridgeshire to the south, Rutland to the south-we ...
is
Conservative Conservatism is a cultural, social, and political philosophy that seeks to promote and to preserve traditional institutions, practices, and values. The central tenets of conservatism may vary in relation to the culture and civilization i ...
controlled, as are six of its seven district councils (
Lincoln City Council The City of Lincoln Council is the local authority for the district of Lincoln, in the county of Lincolnshire, England. The council consists of 33 councillors, three for each of the 11 wards in the city. It is currently controlled by the Labour P ...
is controlled by
Labour Labour or labor may refer to: * Childbirth, the delivery of a baby * Labour (human activity), or work ** Manual labour, physical work ** Wage labour, a socioeconomic relationship between a worker and an employer ** Organized labour and the labour ...
). Two further districts -
North East Lincolnshire North East Lincolnshire is a Unitary authority area with borough status in Lincolnshire, England. It borders the borough of North Lincolnshire and districts of West Lindsey and East Lindsey. The population of the district in the 2011 Census was ...
and
North Lincolnshire North Lincolnshire is a unitary authority area in Lincolnshire, England, with a population of 167,446 in the 2011 census. The borough includes the towns of Scunthorpe, Brigg, Haxey, Crowle, Epworth, Bottesford, Kirton in Lindsey and Barton ...
- are unitary authorities. They were previously districts of Humberside county from 1974. In 1996, Humberside was abolished along with its county council. However some services in those districts are still shared with the
East Riding of Yorkshire The East Riding of Yorkshire, or simply East Riding or East Yorkshire, is a ceremonial county and unitary authority area in the Yorkshire and the Humber region of England. It borders North Yorkshire to the north and west, South Yorkshire to t ...
ceremonial county, rather than the rest of Lincolnshire. Lincolnshire is represented by 11
Members of Parliament A member of parliament (MP) is the representative in parliament of the people who live in their electoral district. In many countries with bicameral parliaments, this term refers only to members of the lower house since upper house members of ...
(MPs). As of the 2019 general election, all 11 constituencies are represented by the
Conservative Party The Conservative Party is a name used by many political parties around the world. These political parties are generally right-wing though their exact ideologies can range from center-right to far-right. Political parties called The Conservative P ...
.


Economy

This is a chart of trend of regional
gross value added In economics, gross value added (GVA) is the measure of the value of goods and services produced in an area, industry or sector of an economy. "Gross value added is the value of output minus the value of intermediate consumption; it is a measure of ...
of Lincolnshire at current basic prices, according to the
Office for National Statistics The Office for National Statistics (ONS; cy, Swyddfa Ystadegau Gwladol) is the executive office of the UK Statistics Authority, a non-ministerial department which reports directly to the UK Parliament. Overview The ONS is responsible for th ...
with figures in millions of
British Pounds Sterling Sterling (abbreviation: stg; Other spelling styles, such as STG and Stg, are also seen. ISO code: GBP) is the currency of the United Kingdom and nine of its associated territories. The pound ( sign: £) is the main unit of sterling, and t ...
. : includes hunting and forestry : includes energy and construction : includes financial intermediation services indirectly measured Notable businesses based in Lincolnshire include the
Lincs FM Group The Lincs FM Group was the parent company of several Independent Local Radio (ILR) stations. As of Q2 2019 the group had a combined audience of 524,000. It was based in Lincolnshire, in the UK. History The Lincs FM Group was formed in the early ...
,
Young's Seafood Young's Seafood Ltd. is a British producer and distributor of frozen, fresh, and chilled seafood, supplying approximately 40% of all the fish eaten in the United Kingdom every year. It is headquartered in Grimsby, England. The company as it is to ...
,
Openfield Openfield is a British grain marketing and arable inputs co-operative based in Lincolnshire. It is one of Britain's largest agricultural companies and Britain's only national co-operative in its field, with a turnover in excess of £500m. It mark ...
and the
Lincolnshire Co-operative Lincolnshire Co-op is an independent consumer co-operative which operates in Lincolnshire, and the surrounding counties. The society has over 220 outlets with its principal trading activity being its food stores, funeral homes, florist and cremato ...
(whose membership includes about one quarter of the population of the county).


Agriculture

Lincolnshire has long been a primarily agricultural area, and it continues to grow large amounts of
wheat Wheat is a grass widely cultivated for its seed, a cereal grain that is a worldwide staple food. The many species of wheat together make up the genus ''Triticum'' ; the most widely grown is common wheat (''T. aestivum''). The archaeologi ...
,
barley Barley (''Hordeum vulgare''), a member of the grass family, is a major cereal grain grown in temperate climates globally. It was one of the first cultivated grains, particularly in Eurasia as early as 10,000 years ago. Globally 70% of barley pr ...
,
sugar beet A sugar beet is a plant whose root contains a high concentration of sucrose and which is grown commercially for sugar production. In plant breeding, it is known as the Altissima cultivar group of the common beet (''Beta vulgaris''). Together wi ...
, and
oilseed rape Rapeseed (''Brassica napus ''subsp.'' napus''), also known as rape, or oilseed rape, is a bright-yellow flowering member of the family Brassicaceae (mustard or cabbage family), cultivated mainly for its oil-rich seed, which naturally contains a ...
. In south Lincolnshire, where the soil is particularly rich in nutrients, some of the most common crops include
potatoes The potato is a starchy food, a tuber of the plant ''Solanum tuberosum'' and is a root vegetable native to the Americas. The plant is a perennial in the nightshade family Solanaceae. Wild potato species can be found from the southern United ...
,
cabbage Cabbage, comprising several cultivars of ''Brassica oleracea'', is a leafy green, red (purple), or white (pale green) biennial plant grown as an annual vegetable crop for its dense-leaved heads. It is descended from the wild cabbage ( ''B.&nb ...
s,
cauliflower Cauliflower is one of several vegetables in the species ''Brassica oleracea'' in the genus ''Brassica'', which is in the Brassicaceae (or mustard) family. It is an annual plant that reproduces by seed. Typically, only the head is eaten – the ...
s, and
onion An onion (''Allium cepa'' L., from Latin ''cepa'' meaning "onion"), also known as the bulb onion or common onion, is a vegetable that is the most widely cultivated species of the genus ''Allium''. The shallot is a botanical variety of the onion ...
s. Lincolnshire farmers often break world records for crop yields. South Lincolnshire is also home to one of the UK's leading
agricultural experiment station An agricultural experiment station (AES) or agricultural research station (ARS) is a scientific research center that investigates difficulties and potential improvements to food production and agribusiness. Experiment station scientists work with f ...
s, located in
Sutton Bridge Sutton Bridge is a village and civil parish in the South Holland district of Lincolnshire, England. It is situated on the A17 road, north from Wisbech and west from King's Lynn. The village includes a commercial dock on the west bank of t ...
and operated by the
Potato Council AHDB Potatoes, previously known as the Potato Council, is a trade organisation that aims to develop and promote the potato industry in Great Britain. Previously an independent non-departmental public body, it has been a division of the Agricult ...
; Sutton Bridge Crop Storage Research engages in research for the British potato industry. The Lincoln Longwool is a rare breed of sheep, named after the region, which was developed both for wool and mutton, at least 500 years ago, and has the longest fleece of any sheep breed. The
Lincoln Red The Lincoln Red is a British breed of red-coated beef cattle. It originates in, and is named for, the county of Lincolnshire in the eastern Midlands of England. It was selectively bred in the late eighteenth and early nineteenth centuries b ...
is an old breed of beef cattle, originating from the county. In the mid 20th century most farms in Lincolnshire moved away from mixed farming to specialise in arable cropping, partly due to cheap wool imports, partly to take advantage of efficiencies of scale and partly because the drier land on the eastern side of England is particularly suitable for arable cropping.
Mechanization Mechanization is the process of changing from working largely or exclusively by hand or with animals to doing that work with machinery. In an early engineering text a machine is defined as follows: In some fields, mechanization includes the ...
around 1900 greatly diminished the number of workers required to operate the county's relatively large farms, and the proportion of workers in the agricultural sector dropped substantially during this period. Several major engineering companies developed in Lincoln,
Gainsborough Gainsborough or Gainsboro may refer to: Places * Gainsborough, Ipswich, Suffolk, England ** Gainsborough Ward, Ipswich * Gainsborough, Lincolnshire, a town in England ** Gainsborough (UK Parliament constituency) * Gainsborough, New South Wales, ...
and
Grantham Grantham () is a market and industrial town in the South Kesteven district of Lincolnshire, England, situated on the banks of the River Witham and bounded to the west by the A1 road. It lies some 23 miles (37 km) south of the Lincoln and ...
to support those changes. Among these was
Fosters of Lincoln William Foster & Co Ltd was an agricultural machinery company based in Lincoln, Lincolnshire, England often called "Fosters of Lincoln." The company can be traced back to 1846, when William Foster purchased a flour mill in Lincoln. William Fost ...
, which built the first
tank A tank is an armoured fighting vehicle intended as a primary offensive weapon in front-line ground combat. Tank designs are a balance of heavy firepower, strong armour, and good battlefield mobility provided by tracks and a powerful engin ...
, and
Richard Hornsby & Sons Richard Hornsby & Sons was an engine and machinery manufacturer in Grantham, Lincolnshire, England from 1828 until 1918. The company was a pioneer in the manufacture of the oil engine developed by Herbert Akroyd Stuart, which was marketed un ...
of Grantham. Most such industrial companies left during late 20th-century restructuring. Today,
immigrant Immigration is the international movement of people to a destination country of which they are not natives or where they do not possess citizenship in order to settle as permanent residents or naturalized citizens. Commuters, tourists, and ...
workers, mainly from new member states of the European Union in Central and Eastern Europe, comprise a large component of the seasonal agricultural workforce, particularly in the south of the county. Here more labour-intensive crops are produced, such as small vegetables and cut flowers. This seasonal influx of migrant labour occasionally causes tension between the migrant workforce and local people, in a county which had been relatively unaccustomed to large-scale immigration. Agricultural training is provided at
Riseholme College Riseholme College is a Further and Higher Education college in Lincolnshire, specialising in land-based subjects such as Agriculture, Equine and Animal Management. It is a part of Bishop Burton College and is based across two campuses - the Ri ...
and in 2016 the
University of Lincoln , mottoeng = Freedom through wisdom , established = 1861 – Hull School of Art1905 – Endsleigh College1976 – Hull College1992 – University of Humberside1996 – University of Lincolnshire and Humberside2001 †...
opened the Lincoln Institute for Agri-Food Technology.


Central Lincolnshire Central Lincolnshire is the name given to a region of Lincolnshire in the East Midlands, England. The area covers the districts of North Kesteven and West Lindsey as well as the City of Lincoln. The name is used for the planning and develop ...

This area covers North Kesteven, Lincoln and West Lindsey. It helps with development and economic planning around the three districts.


Politics


Services and retail

According to an Intra-governmental Group on Geographic Information (IGGI) study in 2000, the town centres were ranked by area thus (including North Lincolnshire and North East Lincolnshire areas): *
Lincoln Lincoln most commonly refers to: * Abraham Lincoln (1809–1865), the sixteenth president of the United States * Lincoln, England, cathedral city and county town of Lincolnshire, England * Lincoln, Nebraska, the capital of Nebraska, U.S. * Lincoln ...
*
Grantham Grantham () is a market and industrial town in the South Kesteven district of Lincolnshire, England, situated on the banks of the River Witham and bounded to the west by the A1 road. It lies some 23 miles (37 km) south of the Lincoln and ...
*
Grimsby Grimsby or Great Grimsby is a port town and the administrative centre of North East Lincolnshire, Lincolnshire, England. Grimsby adjoins the town of Cleethorpes directly to the south-east forming a conurbation. Grimsby is north-east of Linco ...
*
Boston Boston (), officially the City of Boston, is the state capital and most populous city of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, as well as the cultural and financial center of the New England region of the United States. It is the 24th- mo ...
and
Scunthorpe Scunthorpe () is an industrial town and unparished area in the unitary authority of North Lincolnshire in Lincolnshire, England of which it is the main administrative centre. Scunthorpe had an estimated total population of 82,334 in 2016. A pre ...
(equal) * Spalding * Stamford *
Skegness Skegness ( ) is a seaside town and civil parish in the East Lindsey District of Lincolnshire, England. On the Lincolnshire coast of the North Sea, the town is east of Lincoln and north-east of Boston. With a population of 19,579 as of 2011, i ...
*
Louth Louth may refer to: Australia *Hundred of Louth, a cadastral unit in South Australia * Louth, New South Wales, a town *Louth Bay, a bay in South Australia **Louth Bay, South Australia, a town and locality Canada * Louth, Ontario Ireland * County ...
*
Sleaford Sleaford is a market town and Civil parishes in England, civil parish in the North Kesteven district of Lincolnshire, England. Centred on the former parish of New Sleaford, the modern boundaries and urban area include Quarrington, Lincolnshire, ...
*
Gainsborough Gainsborough or Gainsboro may refer to: Places * Gainsborough, Ipswich, Suffolk, England ** Gainsborough Ward, Ipswich * Gainsborough, Lincolnshire, a town in England ** Gainsborough (UK Parliament constituency) * Gainsborough, New South Wales, ...
*
Brigg Brigg ( /'brɪg/) is a market town in North Lincolnshire, England, with a population of 5,076 in the 2001 UK census, the population increased to 5,626 at the 2011 census. The town lies at the junction of the River Ancholme and east–west tra ...
*
Cleethorpes Cleethorpes () is a seaside town on the estuary of the Humber in North East Lincolnshire, England with a population of 38,372 in 2020. It has been permanently occupied since the 6th century, with fishing as its original industry, then develo ...
*
Bourne Bourne may refer to: Places UK * Bourne, Lincolnshire, a town ** Bourne Abbey ** Bourne railway station * Bourne (electoral division), West Sussex * Bourne SSSI, Avon, a Site of Special Scientific Interest near Burrington, North Somerset * Bourne ...
*
Horncastle Horncastle is a town and civil parish in the East Lindsey district in Lincolnshire, east of Lincoln. Its population was 6,815 at the 2011 census and estimated at 7,123 in 2019. A section of the ancient Roman walls remains. History Romans Alt ...
and
Mablethorpe Mablethorpe is a seaside town in the East Lindsey district of Lincolnshire, England, part of the civil parish of Mablethorpe and Sutton.OS Explorer map 283:Louth and Mablethorpe: (1:25 000): The population including nearby Sutton-on-Sea was 12, ...
(equal)


Public services


Education

Lincolnshire is one of the few counties in the UK that still uses the
11-plus The eleven-plus (11+) is a Test (assessment), standardized examination administered to some students in England and Northern Ireland in their last year of primary education, which governs admission to grammar schools and other secondary schools ...
to decide who may attend
grammar school A grammar school is one of several different types of school in the history of education in the United Kingdom and other English-speaking countries, originally a school teaching Latin, but more recently an academically oriented secondary school ...
. As a result, many towns in Lincolnshire have both a grammar school and a secondary modern school. Lincolnshire's rural character means that some larger villages also have primary schools and are served by buses to nearby high schools. Lincoln itself, however, is primarily non-selective, as is the area within a radius of about seven miles. In this area, almost all children attend comprehensive schools, though it is still possible to opt into the 11-plus system. This gives rise to the unusual result that those who pass the Eleven plus can attend a Grammar School outside the Lincoln Comprehensive area, but those who do not pass still attend a (partly non-selective) Comprehensive school.


Transport

Being on the economic periphery of England, Lincolnshire's transport links are poorly developed compared with many other parts of the United Kingdom. The road network in the county is dominated by single carriageway Great Britain road numbering scheme, A roads and local roads (B roads) as opposed to Controlled-access highway, motorways and dual carriageways – the administrative county of Lincolnshire is one of the few UK counties without a motorway, and until several years ago, it was said that there was only about of dual carriageway in the whole of Lincolnshire. The M180 motorway passes through North Lincolnshire, splitting into two dual carriageway trunk roads to the Humber Bridge and
Grimsby Grimsby or Great Grimsby is a port town and the administrative centre of North East Lincolnshire, Lincolnshire, England. Grimsby adjoins the town of Cleethorpes directly to the south-east forming a conurbation. Grimsby is north-east of Linco ...
, and the A46 road, A46 is now dual carriageway between Newark-on-Trent and Lincoln. The low population density of the county means that the number of railway stations and train services is very low considering the county's large area. Many of the county's railway stations were permanently closed following the Beeching cuts, Beeching Report of 1963. The most notable reopening has been the line and two stations between Lincoln and
Sleaford Sleaford is a market town and Civil parishes in England, civil parish in the North Kesteven district of Lincolnshire, England. Centred on the former parish of New Sleaford, the modern boundaries and urban area include Quarrington, Lincolnshire, ...
, which reopened within months of the Beeching closure. Most other closed lines in the county were long ago lifted and much of the trackbed has returned to agricultural use. Prior to 1970, a through train service operated between Cleethorpes railway station, Cleethorpes and London King's Cross railway station, London King's Cross via Louth railway station, Louth, Boston railway station, Boston and Peterborough railway station, Peterborough. The part of this line in Grimsby is now the A16 road (England), A16 road, preventing reinstatement as a railway line, and a small section of the line is now the Lincolnshire Wolds Railway, with an extension towards Louth in progress. A daily through train service operated between Cleethorpes and London King's Cross via Grimsby railway station, Grimsby, Market Rasen railway station, Market Rasen and Lincoln railway station, Lincoln Central until the late 1980s. The ''Humberlincs Executive'', as the service was known, was operated by an InterCity 125, but was discontinued following the electrification of the East Coast Main Line. Passengers now have to change trains at Newark North Gate railway station, Newark North Gate when travelling to and from London. However, the East Coast Main Line passes through the western edge of the county and one can catch direct trains to London from Grantham railway station, Grantham. Most rail services are currently operated by East Midlands Railway and Northern Trains. London North Eastern Railway and CrossCountry have services which pass through the county, with London North Eastern Railway frequently passing and stopping at Grantham on the East Coast Main Line and a service every other hour to Lincoln railway station, Lincoln, while CrossCountry trains stop at Stamford on their way between Birmingham New Street railway station, Birmingham and Stansted Airport railway station, Stansted Airport. Stations along the Humber are served by TransPennine Express services between Manchester Airport railway station, Manchester Airport and Cleethorpes. One of the most infrequent services in the UK is in Lincolnshire: the Sheffield railway station, Sheffield-Gainsborough Central railway station, Gainsborough Central-Cleethorpes line has passenger trains only on a Saturday, with three trains in both directions. This line is, however, used for freight. On 22 May 2011 East Coast (train operating company), East Coast started a Lincoln-London service, initially one train a day each way, and there is a northbound service on a Sunday. This was increased in 2019 to a service every two hours. East Midlands Railway also run a daily (Mon-Sat) service each way between Lincoln and St Pancras railway station, London St Pancras, though this is a stopping service which takes around three hours via Nottingham railway station, Nottingham, compared to London North Eastern Railway's service to London King's Cross which takes around 1 hour 50 minutes. The only airport in Lincolnshire is Humberside Airport, near Brigg. East Midlands Airport the main airport servicing the East Midlands is within travelling distance of the county. Doncaster Sheffield Airport near Doncaster is within travelling distance of much of Lincolnshire. The county's biggest bus companies are Stagecoach Grimsby-Cleethorpes (formerly Grimsby-Cleethorpes Transport) and Stagecoach in Lincolnshire, (formerly Lincolnshire Road Car). There are several smaller bus companies, including Brylaine of Boston, Delaine Buses and Hornsby's of Scunthorpe. A Sustrans cycle route runs from Lincoln to Boston in the south of the county.


Health care

The United Lincolnshire Hospitals NHS Trust is one of the largest trusts in the country, employing almost 4,000 staff and with an annual budget of over £200 million. The north of the county is served by th
Northern Lincolnshire and Goole Hospital NHS Foundation Trust
Some of the larger hospitals in the county include: *Diana Princess of Wales Hospital, Grimsby *Scunthorpe General Hospital *Pilgrim Hospital, Boston Pilgrim Hospital *Lincoln County Hospital Since April 1994, Lincolnshire has had an Air Air ambulances in the United Kingdom, Ambulance service. The air ambulance is stationed at RAF Waddington near Lincoln and can reach emergencies in Lincolnshire within 25 minutes. An A&E hospital is only 10 minutes away by helicopter from any accident in Lincolnshire.


Drainage

Separately to the commercial water companies the low-lying parts of the county are drained by various internal drainage boards, such as th
Black Sluice Internal Drainage BoardWitham 4th District IDBLindsey Marsh Drainage Board
, or th
Welland and Deepings Internal Drainage Board


Towns and villages

In terms of population, the 12 biggest settlements in the county by population are: *
Lincoln Lincoln most commonly refers to: * Abraham Lincoln (1809–1865), the sixteenth president of the United States * Lincoln, England, cathedral city and county town of Lincolnshire, England * Lincoln, Nebraska, the capital of Nebraska, U.S. * Lincoln ...
(Population: 97,541) *
Grimsby Grimsby or Great Grimsby is a port town and the administrative centre of North East Lincolnshire, Lincolnshire, England. Grimsby adjoins the town of Cleethorpes directly to the south-east forming a conurbation. Grimsby is north-east of Linco ...
(Population: 88,243) *
Scunthorpe Scunthorpe () is an industrial town and unparished area in the unitary authority of North Lincolnshire in Lincolnshire, England of which it is the main administrative centre. Scunthorpe had an estimated total population of 82,334 in 2016. A pre ...
(Population: 82,334) *
Grantham Grantham () is a market and industrial town in the South Kesteven district of Lincolnshire, England, situated on the banks of the River Witham and bounded to the west by the A1 road. It lies some 23 miles (37 km) south of the Lincoln and ...
(Population: 44,580) *
Cleethorpes Cleethorpes () is a seaside town on the estuary of the Humber in North East Lincolnshire, England with a population of 38,372 in 2020. It has been permanently occupied since the 6th century, with fishing as its original industry, then develo ...
(Population: 38,996) *
Boston Boston (), officially the City of Boston, is the state capital and most populous city of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, as well as the cultural and financial center of the New England region of the United States. It is the 24th- mo ...
(Population: 35,124) * Spalding (Population: 34,613) *
Gainsborough Gainsborough or Gainsboro may refer to: Places * Gainsborough, Ipswich, Suffolk, England ** Gainsborough Ward, Ipswich * Gainsborough, Lincolnshire, a town in England ** Gainsborough (UK Parliament constituency) * Gainsborough, New South Wales, ...
(Population: 22,841) * Stamford (Population: 19,701) *
Skegness Skegness ( ) is a seaside town and civil parish in the East Lindsey District of Lincolnshire, England. On the Lincolnshire coast of the North Sea, the town is east of Lincoln and north-east of Boston. With a population of 19,579 as of 2011, i ...
(Population: 19,579) *
Sleaford Sleaford is a market town and Civil parishes in England, civil parish in the North Kesteven district of Lincolnshire, England. Centred on the former parish of New Sleaford, the modern boundaries and urban area include Quarrington, Lincolnshire, ...
(Population: 17,671) *
Louth Louth may refer to: Australia *Hundred of Louth, a cadastral unit in South Australia * Louth, New South Wales, a town *Louth Bay, a bay in South Australia **Louth Bay, South Australia, a town and locality Canada * Louth, Ontario Ireland * County ...
(Population, 16,419) A small part of the Thorne and Hatfield Moors#Location, Thorne Waste area of the town of Thorne, South Yorkshire, Thorne in South Yorkshire, known as the Yorkshire Triangle, currently falls under North Lincolnshire.


Tourism

The majority of tourism in Lincolnshire relies on the coastal resorts and towns to the east of the
Lincolnshire Wolds The Lincolnshire Wolds are a range of low hills in the county of Lincolnshire, England which run roughly parallel with the North Sea coast, from the Humber Estuary in the north-west to the edge of the Lincolnshire Fens in the south-east. They a ...
. The county has some of the best-known seaside resorts in the United Kingdom, which are a major attraction to visitors from across England, especially the
East Midlands The East Midlands is one of nine official regions of England at the first level of ITL for statistical purposes. It comprises the eastern half of the area traditionally known as the Midlands. It consists of Leicestershire, Derbyshire, Li ...
and parts of Yorkshire. There are three main coastal resorts in Lincolnshire and several smaller village resorts. The main county seaside resort of
Skegness Skegness ( ) is a seaside town and civil parish in the East Lindsey District of Lincolnshire, England. On the Lincolnshire coast of the North Sea, the town is east of Lincoln and north-east of Boston. With a population of 19,579 as of 2011, i ...
with its famous The Jolly Fisherman, Jolly Fisherman mascot and famous slogan "Skegness is so bracing", together with its neighbouring large village coastal resorts of Ingoldmells and Chapel St Leonards, provides the biggest concentration of resorts along the
Lincolnshire Coast The coast of Lincolnshire runs for more than down the North Sea coast of eastern England, from the estuary of the Humber (which divides it from East Yorkshire) to the marshlands of the Wash, where it meets Norfolk. This stretch of coastline has lo ...
, with many large caravan and holiday sites. The resort offers many amusements, beaches, leisure activities and shops, as well as Butlins Skegness, Fantasy Island (UK amusement park), Fantasy Island, Church Farm Museum, Natureland Seal Sanctuary, Skegness Stadium, Skegness Pier#Pier, Skegness Pier and several well-known local golf courses. There are good road, bus and rail links to the rest of the county. The second largest group of resorts along the coast is the seaside town of
Mablethorpe Mablethorpe is a seaside town in the East Lindsey district of Lincolnshire, England, part of the civil parish of Mablethorpe and Sutton.OS Explorer map 283:Louth and Mablethorpe: (1:25 000): The population including nearby Sutton-on-Sea was 12, ...
, famous for its golden sands, and the neighbouring village resorts of Trusthorpe and Sutton-on-Sea. This area also offers leisure activities and has large caravan and holiday sites. But the area is less developed, with fewer amusement arcades and nightclubs, and poorer road links to the rest of the county; but the area offers a more traditional seaside setting. The third group of resorts includes the seaside town of
Cleethorpes Cleethorpes () is a seaside town on the estuary of the Humber in North East Lincolnshire, England with a population of 38,372 in 2020. It has been permanently occupied since the 6th century, with fishing as its original industry, then develo ...
and the large village resort of Humberston within North East Lincolnshire. It has the Cleethorpes Coast Light Railway and Cleethorpes Pier along with its local golf courses and caravan and holiday sites, whilst it is also the former site of Pleasure Island Family Theme Park. Cleethorpes is well-served by road and rail; it is easily accessible from the M180 motorway, M180 and the TransPennine Express route to Manchester. Nature is an attraction for many tourists: the south-east of the county is mainly fenland that attracts many species of birds, as do the national nature reserve (United Kingdom), national nature reserves at
Gibraltar Point Gibraltar Point may refer to: * Gibraltar Point, Lincolnshire, a national nature reserve located in England * Gibraltar Point Lighthouse, a lighthouse located in Toronto, Canada * Gibraltar Point Blockhouse, a blockhouse located in Toronto, Canada ...
, Saltfleetby-Theddlethorpe Dunes National Nature Reserve, Saltfleetby-Theddlethorpe and
Donna Nook Donna Nook is a point on the low-lying coast of north Lincolnshire, England, north of the village of North Somercotes and south of Grimsby. The area, a salt marsh, is used by a number of Royal Air Force stations in Lincolnshire for bombing pract ...
, which also contains a large grey seal colony which is popular with visitors. The market towns of the Lincolnshire Wolds
Louth Louth may refer to: Australia *Hundred of Louth, a cadastral unit in South Australia * Louth, New South Wales, a town *Louth Bay, a bay in South Australia **Louth Bay, South Australia, a town and locality Canada * Louth, Ontario Ireland * County ...
, Alford, Lincolnshire, Alford,
Horncastle Horncastle is a town and civil parish in the East Lindsey district in Lincolnshire, east of Lincoln. Its population was 6,815 at the 2011 census and estimated at 7,123 in 2019. A section of the ancient Roman walls remains. History Romans Alt ...
, Caistor and Spilsby are also attractive, with several having historically important buildings, such as Alford Manor House, St James' Church, Louth, St James' Church and Bolingbroke Castle. The Wolds are popular for cycling and walking, with regular events such as the Lincolnshire Wolds Walking Festival. The city of
Lincoln Lincoln most commonly refers to: * Abraham Lincoln (1809–1865), the sixteenth president of the United States * Lincoln, England, cathedral city and county town of Lincolnshire, England * Lincoln, Nebraska, the capital of Nebraska, U.S. * Lincoln ...
is home to many tourist attractions including Lincoln Castle, Lincoln Cathedral, The Engine Shed, Steep Hill, International Bomber Command Centre and Guildhall and Stonebow, Lincoln, Guildhall and Stonebow among other historical landmarks and listed buildings. The city acts as one of the many tourist centres in the East Midlands Region.


Culture

Lincolnshire is a rural area where the pace of life is generally much slower than in much of the United Kingdom. Due to the large distances between the towns, many villages have remained very self-contained, with many still having shops, pubs, local halls and local chapels and churches, offering a variety of social activities for residents. Fishing (in the extensive river and drainage system in the fens) and shooting are popular activities. A lot of the culture in Lincoln itself is based upon its history. The Collection (Lincolnshire), The Collection is an archaeological museum and art gallery in Lincoln. Lincoln Cathedral also plays a large part in Lincoln's culture, playing host to many events throughout the year, from concert recitals to indoor food markets. A Lincolnshire tradition was that front doors were used for only three things: a new baby, a bride, and a coffin.


People

Those born in Lincolnshire are sometimes given the nickname of Yellowbelly (Lincolnshire), Yellowbellies (often spelt "Yeller Bellies", to reflect the pronunciation of the phrase by the typical Lincolnshire farmer). The origin of this term is debated, but is most commonly believed to derive from the uniform of the 10th Regiment of Foot (later the Lincolnshire Regiment) which featured yellow facings. For this reason, the coat of arms of Lincolnshire County Council is supported by two officers of the regiment.


Notable people

The following list of notable people associated with Lincolnshire is arranged chronologically by date of birth.


Born before 1701

* Guthlac of Crowland (674–715), Christian saint * Æthelhard (8th century-805), Archbishop of Canterbury * Hereward the Wake (c.1035-c.1072), Anglo-Saxon nobleman * Lucy of Bolingbroke (1074–1136), countess of Chester * Gilbert of Sempringham (c.1085–1190), Saint and Founder of the Gilbertine Order * Aaron of Lincoln (c.1125–1186), financier * Hugh of Lincoln (1135/40-1200), Bishop of Lincoln * Stephen Langton (c.1150–1228), Archbishop of Canterbury * Nicolaa de la Haye (c.1150–1230), landowner and administrator * Robert Grosseteste (c.1175–1253), Bishop of Lincoln * Berechiah de Nicole (c.1210-c.1270), Tosafist * Eleanor of Castile (1241–1290), wife of Edward I of England, Edward I * Little Saint Hugh of Lincoln (1246–1255), murder victim, falsely attributed to blood libel * Katherine Swynford (c.1350–1403), third wife of John of Gaunt * Henry IV of England (1367–1413), King of England * Richard Foxe (1458–1528), bishop and founder of Corpus Christi College, Oxford * John Taverner (c1490-1545), composer and organist * John Whitgift (c.1503–1604), Archbishop of Canterbury * John Foxe (c.1516–1587), author of ''Foxe's Book of Martyrs'' * William Cecil, 1st Baron Burghley (1520–1598), Chief Advisor to Queen Elizabeth I * Anne Askew (1521–1546), Protestant martyr * William Byrd (1539–1623), composer * John Smyth (Baptist minister), John Smyth (c.1554-c.1612), founder of the Baptist denomination * Robert Tighe (1562–1620), cleric and linguist * Francis Meres (1565/1566-1647), churchman and author * Captain John Smith (1580–1631), leader of the settlement of Jamestown, Virginia * John Cotton (minister), John Cotton (1585–1652), clergyman * Anne Bradstreet (1612–1672), poet * John Leverett (1616-1678/79), penultimate governor of the Massachusetts Bay Colony * Simon Patrick (1626–1707), English theologian and bishop * Isaac Newton, Sir Isaac Newton (1642–1726), mathematician and physicist * John Harrison (1693–1776), Marine chronometer, chronometer innovator * William Stukeley (1687–1765), antiquarian


Born 1701–1850

* John Wesley, John (1703–1791) and Charles Wesley (1707–1788), founders of the Methodist movement * Benjamin Huntsman (1704–1776), inventor of crucible steel * Thomas Paine (1737–1809), political activist and philosopher * Joseph Banks (1743–1820), botanist and naturalist * Samuel Eyles Pierce (1746–1829), preacher and theologian * Thomas Scott (commentator), Thomas Scott (1747–1821), Bible commentator and co-founder of the Church Missionary Society * George Bass (1771-c.1803), explorer of Australia * Matthew Flinders (1774–1814), navigator and cartographer * Richard Watson (Methodist), Richard Watson (1781–1833), theologian and Methodist writer * George Davenport (1783–1845), sailor and frontiersman * Peter De Wint (1784–1849), landscape painter * Pishey Thompson (1784–1862), publisher and antiquarian writer * Sir John Franklin (1786–1847), Arctic explorer * Andreas Kalvos (1792–1869), poet * Christopher Wordsworth (1807–1885), Bishop of Lincoln * Alfred Lord Tennyson (1809–1892), poet * Herbert Ingram (1811–1860), journalist * Lady Charlotte Guest (1812–1895), businesswoman and Welsh language translator * George Boole (1815–1864), mathematician * William Marwood (1818–1883), hangman * Jean Ingelow (1820–1897), poet * Charles Frederick Worth (1825–1895), fashion designer * Edward King (bishop of Lincoln), Edward King (1829–1910), Bishop of Lincoln * Charlotte Alington Barnard (1830–1869), ballad composer and hymn writer * Joseph Ruston (1835–1897), engineer and manufacturer *Arnold Rylott (1839–1914), cricketer for Marylebone Cricket Club * George Green (Medal of Honor) (1840–1898), Medal of Honor recipient * Gonville Bromhead (1845–1891), Victoria Cross recipient * Madge Kendal (1848–1935), actress


Born 1851–1950

* Ethel Rudkin (1893–1985), folklorist and archaeologist * Sarah Swift (1854–1937), Royal College of Nursing founder * Frank Bramley (1857–1915), artist * Adrian Woodruffe-Peacock (1858–1922), clergyman and ecologist * William Robertson (British Army officer), William Robertson (1860–1933), Field Marshal * Halford Mackinder (1861–1947), geographer * Thomas Colclough Watson (1867–1917), Victoria Cross recipient * Cyril Bland (1872–1950), cricketer * William Tritton (1875–1946), tank developer * Frank Pick (1878–1941), railway administrator * Sybil Thorndike (1882–1976), actress * Alfred Piccaver (1884–1958), tenor * Arthur Lucan (1885–1954), part of the music hall act Old Mother Riley * Harold Jackson (VC) (1892–1918), Victoria Cross recipient * Charles Richard Sharpe (1889–1963), Victoria Cross recipient * Francis Hill (1899–1980), historian * Frank Whittle (1907–1996), RAF officer * John George Haigh (1909–1949), serial killer * Douglas Bader (1910–1982), RAF flying ace * James Cobban (1910–1999), educator and headmaster * Chad Varah (1911–2007), priest and "The Samaritans" founder * Ted Savage (footballer), Ted Savage (1912–1964), footballer * Guy Gibson (1918–1944), bomber pilot and Victoria Cross recipient * Steve Race (1921–2009), musician and broadcaster * Liz Smith (actress), Liz Smith (1921–2016), actress * Leslie Manser (1922–1942), bomber pilot and Victoria Cross recipient * Brian Tierney (medievalist), Brian Tierney (1922–2019), historian * Nicholas Parsons (1923–2020), radio and TV presenter * Neville Marriner (1924–2016), violinist and conductor * Margaret Thatcher (1925–2013), former Prime Minister * Elizabeth Jennings (poet), Elizabeth Jennings (1926–2001), poet * Brenda Fisher (1927–2022), swimmer * Joan Plowright (born 1929), actress * Jeff Hall (footballer), Jeff Hall (1929–1959), footballer * Colin Dexter (1930–2017), crime writer * Bill Podmore (1931–1994), television producer * Neil McCarthy (actor), Neil McCarthy (1932–1985), actor * Frank Sargeant (bishop), Frank Sargeant (born 1932), retired Anglican bishop * Mervyn Winfield (1932–2014), cricketer * Bernard Codd (1934–2013), motorcycle road racer * Victor Emery (1934–2002), physicist * Mike Pinner (born 1934), football goalkeeper * Bruce Barrymore Halpenny (born 1937), military historian and author * Roy Axe (1937–2010), car designer * Barry Spikings (born 1939), Hollywood producer * John Alderton (born 1940), actor * John Hurt (1940-2017), actor * Jo Kendall (1940-2022), actress * Ted Lewis (writer), Ted Lewis (1940–1982), crime writer * Alec Brader () (born 1942) professional footballer, schoolteacher and youth athletics coach * Graham Oates (footballer, born 1943), Graham Oates (born 1943), footballer * John Hargreaves (cricketer), John Hargreaves (born 1944), cricketer * Tony Jacklin (born 1944), golfer * Roger Scruton (1944–2020), philosopher * Graham Taylor (1944-2017), footballer, club and England national team manager. * Chris Wright (music industry executive), Chris Wright (born 1944), music industry executive and businessman * Patricia Hodge (born 1946), actress * Iain Matthews (born 1946), singer-songwriter and musician * Philip Priestley (born 1946), former British diplomat * Richard Budge (1947–2016), coal mining entrepreneur * Ray Clemence (1948-2020), football goalkeeper * Jim Broadbent (born 1949), actor * Geoff Capes (born 1949), shotputter * Rod Temperton (1949–2016), songwriter, record producer and musician * Bernie Taupin (born 1950), songwriter


Born 1951 onwards

* Brian Bolland (born 1951), comics artist * John Ward (footballer, born 1951), John Ward (born 1951), footballer * David Ward (British politician), David Ward (born 1953), former Member of Parliament (United Kingdom), Member of Parliament (MP) * Michael Foale (born 1957), astronaut * Jennifer Saunders (born 1958), actress and comedian * Chris Woods (born 1959), football goalkeeper * Lee Chapman (born 1959), footballer * Glenn Cockerill (born 1959), footballer * Simon Garner (born 1959), footballer * Alan Moulder (born 1959), record producer, mixing engineer and audio engineer * John Cridland (born 1961), former Director-General of the Confederation of British Industry (CBI); Chair of Transport for the North (TfN) * Bill Dunham (born 1961), former Deputy Commandant General of the Royal Marines * Colin McFarlane (born 1961), actor * Stephen Sackur (born 1964), broadcaster and journalist * Jonathan Van-Tam (born 1964), specialist in influenza, and former Deputy Chief Medical Officer for England * Helen Fospero (born 1966), newsreader and journalist * Antonio Berardi (born 1968), fashion designer * Beverley Allitt (born 1968), serial killer * Samantha Cameron (born 1971), businesswoman and wife of the former Prime Minister David Cameron * Rae Earl (born 1971), author * Jane Taylor (musician), Jane Taylor (born 1972), singer and musician * Robert Webb (actor), Robert Webb (born 1972), actor, comedian and writer * Jonathan Kerrigan (born 1972), actor * Paul Palmer (swimmer), Paul Palmer (born 1974), swimmer * Abi Titmuss (born 1976), poker player and glamour model * Steve Housham (born 1976), footballer and manager * Danny Butterfield (born 1979), footballer * Colin Furze (born 1979), inventor and YouTube personality * Kelly Adams (born 1979), actress * Sheridan Smith (born 1981), actress * Paul Mayo (born 1981), footballer * Guy Martin (born 1981), motorcycle racer and television presenter * Kevin Clifton (born 1982), professional dancer and actor * Joanne Clifton (born 1983), professional dancer and actress * Carl Hudson (born 1983), musician * Ross Edgley (born 1985), extreme adventurer, ultra-marathon sea swimmer and author * Nicola Roberts (born 1985), singer * Oliver Ryan (born 1985), footballer * Luke Wright (born 1985), cricketer * Lee Frecklington (born 1985), footballer * Kate Haywood (born 1987), swimmer * Sam Clucas (born 1990), footballer * Georgie Twigg (born 1990), hockey player * Sophie Wells (born 1990), para-equestrian * Scott Williams (darts player), Scott Williams (born 1990), darts player * Thomas Turgoose (born 1992), actor * Eliza Butterworth (born 1993), actress * Patrick Bamford (born 1993), footballer * Jack Harvey (racing driver), Jack Harvey (born 1993), racing driver * Hollie Arnold (born 1994), javelin thrower * Ella Henderson (born 1996), singer and songwriter * Holly Humberstone (born 1999), singer and songwriter * Ellis Chapman (born 2001), footballer


Local dialect

In common with most other English English#Northern England, Northern and English English#Midlands, Midlands dialects in England, "flat" ''a'' is preferred, i.e. over , and also traditionally in words like 'water', pronounced ''watter'' (though such a pronunciation is rarely heard nowadays). Similarly, is usually replaced by . Features rather more confined to Lincolnshire include: * Elaboration of Received Pronunciation English or into a complex triphthong approximating, and often Transcription (linguistics), transcribed ''-air-'' or ''-yair-''. For example: 'mate' ; 'beast' ; ''tates'' (potatoes) . * An equivalent elaboration of standard English – commonly in Northern England – into ''-ooa-''. For example, 'boat' . * Insertion of an extra schwa into the standard English diphthong . * Vocabulary: 'duck' as a term of endearment or informal address, 'mardy' meaning upset or angry, ''mowt'' (pronounced like 'mout') for 'might', ''while'' as a substitute for standard English 'until', ''frit'' meaning frightened, ''grufty'' meaning dirty or disgusting, and the inimitable salutation (greeting), salutation ''now then!?'' (hello), sometimes written ''nairn'' to reflect pronunciation. * In the north-east of the county, around Grimsby and Immingham, the Phonological history of English vowels, nurse-square merger can be heard, as is also the case along the east coast of Yorkshire and also in Liverpool. Words that take in RP take in these areas. Lincolnshire has its own dialect "champion", a farmer from the village of Minting called Farmer Wink (real name Robert Carlton), who has produced videos about rural life, narrated in his broad Lincolnshire accent. A resident of
Woodhall Spa Woodhall Spa is a former spa Village and civil parish in Lincolnshire, England, on the southern edge of the Lincolnshire Wolds, south-west of Horncastle, west of Skegness, east-south-east of Lincoln and north-west of Boston. It is noted for ...
has published a dictionary of words once prevalent in parts of the county.


Music

Lincolnshire was historically associated with the Lincolnshire bagpipes, instruments derided as coarse and unpleasant in contemporary literature, but noted as very popular in the county. The last player, John Hunsley of Middle Manton, died in 1851, and since then the instrument has been extinct. In 1937, Percy Grainger wrote his ''Lincolnshire Posy'' for wind band. The piece is a compilation of folk songs "musical wildflowers" collected by the composer in and around the county of Lincolnshire.


Food

Lincolnshire has a number of local dishes: *Stuffed chine – this is salted neck-chine of a pig taken from between the shoulder blades, salted for up to ten months and stuffed with parsley (other ingredients are normally kept secret), and served cold. *Haslet – a type of pork loaf, also flavoured with sage (pronounced HAYSS-let or AYSS-let in Lincolnshire but HAZ-let in many other parts of the country). *Lincolnshire sausages – most butchers in Lincolnshire have their own secret recipe for these and a competition is held each year to judge the best sausages in the county. Traditional Lincolnshire sausages are made entirely from minced pork, stale bread crumb (rusk is used nowadays) pepper, sage and salt. The skins should be natural casings which are made from the intestines of either sheep or pig. *Pork pies – the same pork butchers will take a pride in their unique recipe for pork pies. *Giblets, Giblet pie. *Lamb and mutton, Mutton stuffed with oysters. *Plum bread – as with Christmas pudding, plum pudding, plum refers to dried fruit, namely currants, raisins and sultanas, sometimes soaked in tea. *Grantham Gingerbread – a hard white ginger biscuit. *Lincolnshire Poacher cheese – a cheddar-style cheese produced in Alford, Lincolnshire, Alford. Lincolnshire Poacher has won numerous awards over the years including Supreme Champion at the 1996/7 British Cheese Awards and Best British Cheese at the World Cheese awards in 2001/2. *Batemans Brewery, Batemans ales – a beer brewed in Wainfleet, Lincolnshire, Wainfleet and served in many pubs in the county and further afield. *There are several small breweries. *Grimsby is renowned for its fishing industry, and historically ''Grimsby Fish'' has carried a premium price. Since the decline of the fishing industry following entry to the European Economic Community in the 1970s this is no longer the case, with the majority of fish sold at the town's fish market being brought overland from other ports. However, ''Grimsby Fish'' is still a recognised ''product'', one associated with a particular area that specialises in and has expertise in a particular trade (cf ''Sheffield steel''). In 2009 Traditional Grimsby smoked fish, smoked fish from the town was granted Protected Geographical Indication by the European Union, reflecting the unique smoking methods used by certain local fish companies. Craft Chocolatiers can be found throughout the county, such as Hansens in Folkingham. In 2013 Redstar Chocolate's ''Duffy's Venezuela Ocumare Milk'' won a gold medal as best bean-to-bar. The factory is in Cleethorpes.


Events

Every year the Lincolnshire Agricultural Society, founded in 1869, stages the Lincolnshire Agricultural Show. It is held on the Wednesday and Thursday of the last whole week of June at its showground at Grange de Lings, a few miles north of Lincoln on the A15 road (Great Britain), A15. The show was first held here in 1958. First held around the year 1884, it is one of the largest agricultural shows in the country, and is attended by around 100,000 people over its two days. The showground is in regular use throughout the year for a wide range of other events and functions. Smaller local agricultural shows, such as the Heckington Show can still be found. Corby Glen sheep fair has been held since 1238. Each year RAF Waddington is the home to the RAF International Waddington Air Show. The two-day event attracts around 150,000 people and usually takes place during the first weekend of July. Since its inception over 35 countries have participated, with aircraft from around the globe attending the Lincolnshire Base. Beginning 2017, the event will be held at nearby RAF Scampton. On the Monday before Easter, an unusual auction takes place in
Bourne Bourne may refer to: Places UK * Bourne, Lincolnshire, a town ** Bourne Abbey ** Bourne railway station * Bourne (electoral division), West Sussex * Bourne SSSI, Avon, a Site of Special Scientific Interest near Burrington, North Somerset * Bourne ...
to let the grazing rights of the Whitebread Meadow. Bidding takes place while two boys race toward the Queen's Bridge in Eastgate, the end of which dash is equivalent to the falling of the gavel. The whole affair dates back to the 1742 will of William Clay. The Haxey Hood village competition takes place every January, as it has for over 700 years. Stamford's Mid-Lent fair sees showmen converge on the town the week after Mothering Sunday, with rides and sideshows filling Broad Street, the Sheepmarket and the Meadows for a week. Stalls selling Grantham gingerbread and nougat are a traditional feature. The following week sees them in Grantham, on the way north for the Summer
Roger Tuby
brings a small funfair to Bourne and then to Spalding in Spring and returns in Autumn at the end of the season. The villages of Tetford and Salmonby hold an annual Scarecrow Festival in May every year. The Belchford Downhill Challenge which is held every two years: soapbox racers race down the hill at up to 30 km/h. The turnout has been up to 1,000. Lincoln Christmas Market, a street market held throughout the historic area of the city at the start of December, is one of the largest Christmas markets in Europe, attracting over 250,000 people over the four-day event. Around the same time, Christmas lights are turned on in Bourne, Sleaford, Skegness, and other towns. Throughout the summer the Stamford Shakespeare Company presents the Bard's plays in the open-air theatre at Tolethorpe Hall, which is actually in
Rutland Rutland () is a ceremonial county and unitary authority in the East Midlands, England. The county is bounded to the west and north by Leicestershire, to the northeast by Lincolnshire and the southeast by Northamptonshire. Its greatest len ...
. The Spalding Flower Parade was held in late spring every year between 1959 and 2013. Colourful floats decorated with tulip heads competed for a cup.


Sport

The main sports played in the county are Association football, football, cricket and rugby union. Lincolnshire does not have a high sporting profile, mainly due to the lack of facilities and high-profile football teams. Probably the most well-known sporting venues in Lincolnshire are Cadwell Park near Louth, where a round of the British Motorbike Championship is held on the last Monday of August every year and the racecourse at Market Rasen *Three teams from Lincolnshire play in the Football League: Lincoln City F.C., Lincoln City play in Football League One, Grimsby Town FC, Grimsby Town play in Football League Two. In non-league football Scunthorpe United F.C., Scunthorpe United play in the National League (division), National League, while Boston United F.C., Boston United and Gainsborough Trinity F.C., Gainsborough Trinity play in the Football Conference North. A meeting between any of these clubs is a Lincolnshire derby; the most prominent meeting, having happened across English football league system, four of the top five tiers of English football, is Lincoln City vs Grimsby Town. *In cricket Lincolnshire County Cricket Club, Lincolnshire are a minor county and play in the Minor Counties Championship. *In field hockey, hockey Lindum Hockey Club play in the north of Lincoln. *Scunthorpe Rugby Club are the most notable rugby union team from Lincolnshire, and will play in the fifth level of the English league system in the 2017–18 season. Other notable teams include Market Rasen and Louth RUFC, Lincoln RFC, and Boston Rugby Club. *Lincolnshire is home to one racecourse, at Market Rasen Racecourse, Market Rasen. *Cadwell Park is the only motor-racing course in Lincolnshire. There is a speedway track in Scunthorpe, home of the Scunthorpe Scorpions, and stock-car racing at a stadium at Orby, near
Skegness Skegness ( ) is a seaside town and civil parish in the East Lindsey District of Lincolnshire, England. On the Lincolnshire coast of the North Sea, the town is east of Lincoln and north-east of Boston. With a population of 19,579 as of 2011, i ...
. *Lincolnshire has an American Football club, the Lincolnshire Bombers, which has existed in its current guise since 2005. *Lincolnshire is home to the UK roller derby team, the Lincolnshire Bombers Roller Girls, which is sponsored by Motörhead.


Symbols

The unofficial anthem of the county is the traditional folk song, "Lincolnshire Poacher (folk song), The Lincolnshire Poacher", which dates from around 1776. A version of the song was the theme for BBC Radio Lincolnshire for many years. According to a 2002 marketing campaign by the charity Plantlife, the County flowers of the United Kingdom, county flower of Lincolnshire is the common dog-violet. In August 2005, BBC Radio Lincolnshire and ''Lincolnshire Life'' magazine launched a vote for a flag of Lincolnshire to represent the county. Six competing designs were voted upon by locals and the winning submission was unveiled in October 2005. Lincoln has its own flag – St George's flag with a Fleur-de-Lys. The Lincoln Imp has symbolised cathedral, city and county for many years. In 2006 it was replaced as the brand of Lincolnshire County Council by the stylised version seen on the header her

which has lost even the unique pose of the carving.


Media


Press

The county is home to one daily newspaper, the ''Grimsby Telegraph'' which as the name suggests, is published in the town and whose circulation area ostensibly covers North East Lincolnshire, although it reaches as far south as Louth and Alford and as west as
Brigg Brigg ( /'brɪg/) is a market town in North Lincolnshire, England, with a population of 5,076 in the 2001 UK census, the population increased to 5,626 at the 2011 census. The town lies at the junction of the River Ancholme and east–west tra ...
. There are two further weekly papers which used to be published daily until 2011; the ''Lincolnshire Echo'' is published weekly from Lincoln and covers the majority of the county reaching as far north as Louth, and the ''Scunthorpe Telegraph'' which covers northern Lincolnshire. All three are ultimately owned by the Daily Mail and General Trust. There are also a number of weekly papers serving individual towns published in the county by Johnston Press. One of these, the ''Stamford Mercury'' claims to be Britain's oldest newspaper, although it is now a typical local weekly and no longer covers stories from the whole East Midlands as the archived copies did.


Television

With the exception of a small area to the south-west of the county, Lincolnshire is served from the Belmont transmitting station, Belmont transmitter, receiving programmes from ITV Yorkshire and BBC One BBC Yorkshire and Lincolnshire, Yorkshire and Lincolnshire regions. The BBC has, since 2003, provided the area with its twelfth regional service: BBC Yorkshire and Lincolnshire, carrying a local "BBC Look North (East Yorkshire and Lincolnshire), Look North" news programme from the main studio in Kingston upon Hull, Hull, with input from other studios in Lincoln and Grimsby. ITV Yorkshire provides coverage through its evening news programme "Calendar (News), Calendar". Until late 2008 the station provided a separate edition for the Belmont transmitter (although it was still broadcast from Leeds). From January 2009 the area is now covered by a programme that covers the entire ITV Yorkshire region. From 1959 to July 1974 ITV (TV network), ITV programmes were provided by Anglia Television (although some coverage could be received from the Manchester-based Granada Television, Granada and ABC Weekend). Based in Norwich the company had news offices in Grimsby. Following a transmitter change ITV services were provided by Yorkshire Television. This company kept open the offices in Grimsby and opened further facilities in Lincoln, although both of these closed in the mid-1990s. South-west Lincolnshire receives BBC East Midlands and ITV Central which are broadcast from the Waltham transmitting station, Waltham-on-the-Wolds Transmitting Station. Although subject to co-channel interference from the Waltham transmitter, a small number of households in the southern tip of the county are able to receive regional programming from BBC East and ITV Anglia. Many villages just west of the Lincoln Cliff, Lincoln Edge cannot get a signal from Belmont due to Fading, shadowing and instead get their TV from Emley Moor transmitting station, Emley Moor near Huddersfield.


Radio

The area is covered by several local radio stations including: *BBC Radio Lincolnshire Can be heard throughout historic Lincolnshire although its broadcast remit is the present county of Lincolnshire *BBC Radio Humberside The counties of northern Lincolnshire that were formerly known as South Humberside *Greatest Hits Radio Lincolnshire Grimsby, Cleethorpes and Immingham *Heart East Peterborough and South Lincolnshire *Lincs FM Historic Lincolnshire *Siren FM Lincoln *Tulip Radio Spalding and South Holland *Viking FM Northern Lincolnshire and the East Riding of Yorkshire, East Yorkshire, formerly the constituent areas of
Humberside Humberside () was a non-metropolitan and ceremonial county in Northern England from 1 April 1974 until 1 April 1996. It was composed of land from either side of the Humber Estuary, created from portions of the East Riding of Yorkshire, West ...


Military


Air

Because of its flat geography and low population density, Lincolnshire is an ideal place for airfields, and the Air Ministry built prolifically with the county hosting nearly seventy separate air bases. It became known as "bomber county". Since the end of the Second World War most of these airfields or stations were decommissioned, but the RAF retains a significant footprint in Lincolnshire for the air defence of the United Kingdom and aircrew training. For more information on former bases, see List of former RAF stations. Two major front-line bases located in Lincolnshire are RAF Coningsby, which is one of only two RAF Quick Reaction Alert (QRA) Stations in the United Kingdom and home to the Eurofighter Typhoon jet fighters, and RAF Waddington, where most of the RAF's Intelligence, Surveillance, Target Acquisition and Reconnaissance aircraft are based. Other stations in Lincolnshire include RAF Cranwell, home to all Air Force Basic Officer Training for the Royal Air Force; RAF Scampton, home base to the Red Arrows Aerobatic Team and former base of the Avro Vulcan nuclear strike V bomber-force; RAF Barkston Heath, a training airfield; and minor bases such as RAF Kirton in Lindsey, RAF Donna Nook and RAF Digby. Lincolnshire is also home to two active RAF and NATO-allied air weapons training bombing ranges, located along
The Wash The Wash is a rectangular bay and multiple estuary at the north-west corner of East Anglia on the East coast of England, where Norfolk, England, Norfolk meets Lincolnshire and both border the North Sea. One of Britain's broadest estuaries, it i ...
and north Lincolnshire coastline—RAF Holbeach active since 1926 (originally part of the former RAF Sutton Bridge station) and RAF Donna Nook, Donna Nook. The RAF Wainfleet range was decommissioned in 2010.


Army

The Army runs Sobraon Barracks, home of 160 (Lincoln) Squadron, Royal Logistic Corps (RLC), as well as Prince William of Gloucester Barracks, Grantham, home to the national specialist logistics units. In November 2016 the Ministry of Defence (United Kingdom), Ministry of Defence announced that the Grantham site would close in 2020.


Places of interest


See also

*''Outline of England'' *Custos Rotulorum of Lincolnshire – List of Keepers of the Rolls for Lincolnshire *Earl of Lincoln is a title that has been created eight times in the Peerage of England and is currently represented. *High Sheriff of Lincolnshire *Lincolnshire (UK Parliament constituency) List of MPs for the Lincolnshire constituency *Lincs Wind Farm *Lists **List of bridges and viaducts in Lincolnshire **List of churches in Lincolnshire **List of civil parishes in Lincolnshire **List of companies in Lincolnshire – Both current and former **List of forests and woodland in Lincolnshire **List of monastic houses in Lincolnshire **List of museums in Lincolnshire **List of parliamentary constituencies in Lincolnshire **List of places in Lincolnshire **List of public art in Lincolnshire **List of Roman Sites in Lincolnshire, List of Roman sites in Lincolnshire **List of schools in Lincolnshire **List of watermills in Lincolnshire **List of Waterways in Lincolnshire, List of waterways in Lincolnshire **List of windmills in Lincolnshire *Lord Lieutenant of Lincolnshire *Stamford Senior Youth Theatre *1185 East Midlands earthquake


References


Bibliography

*


External links


Lincolnshire County Council websiteLincs FM websiteVisitlincolnshire.com

Lindcolne Skipfierde
Lincolnshire'
Anglo-Saxon, Viking and Norman
re-enactment and living history group
Lincolnshire Show official websitePathe newsreel of motor tractors at 1919 agricultural show, thought to be Lincoln show

Images of Lincolnshire
at the English Heritage Archive {{Authority control Lincolnshire, Non-metropolitan counties East Midlands NUTS 2 statistical regions of the European Union Counties of England established in antiquity