Lincoln () is a
cathedral city
City status in the United Kingdom is granted by the the Crown, monarch of the United Kingdom to specific centres of population, which might or might not meet the generally accepted definition of city, cities. , there are List of cities in the Un ...
and
district
A district is a type of administrative division that in some countries is managed by the local government. Across the world, areas known as "districts" vary greatly in size, spanning regions or county, counties, several municipality, municip ...
in
Lincolnshire
Lincolnshire (), abbreviated ''Lincs'', is a Ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial county in the East Midlands and Yorkshire and the Humber regions of England. It is bordered by the East Riding of Yorkshire across the Humber estuary to th ...
, England, of which it is the
county town
In Great Britain and Ireland, a county town is usually the location of administrative or judicial functions within a county, and the place where public representatives are elected to parliament. Following the establishment of county councils in ...
. In the 2021 Census, the city's district had a population of 103,813.
The 2021 census gave the
urban area of Lincoln, including
Bracebridge Heath
Bracebridge Heath is a village and civil parish in the North Kesteven district of Lincolnshire, England. It is south of Lincoln, England, Lincoln and straddles the border with the Lincoln and North Kesteven district boundaries.
It lies at the ...
,
North Hykeham,
South Hykeham and
Waddington, a recorded population of 127,540.
Roman ''
Lindum Colonia'' developed from an
Iron Age
The Iron Age () is the final epoch of the three historical Metal Ages, after the Chalcolithic and Bronze Age. It has also been considered as the final age of the three-age division starting with prehistory (before recorded history) and progre ...
settlement of
Britons on the
River Witham, near the
Fosse Way road. Over time its name was shortened to Lincoln, after successive settlements, including by
Anglo-Saxons
The Anglo-Saxons, in some contexts simply called Saxons or the English, were a Cultural identity, cultural group who spoke Old English and inhabited much of what is now England and south-eastern Scotland in the Early Middle Ages. They traced t ...
and
Danes. Landmarks include
Lincoln Cathedral (
English Gothic architecture; for over 200 years the world's tallest building) and the 11th-century
Norman Lincoln Castle. The city hosts the
University of Lincoln,
Bishop Grosseteste University,
Lincoln City F.C. and
Lincoln United F.C. Lincoln is the largest settlement in Lincolnshire, with the towns of
Grimsby second largest and
Scunthorpe
Scunthorpe () is an industrial town in Lincolnshire, England, and the county's third most populous settlement after Lincoln, England, Lincoln and Grimsby, with a population of 81,286 in 2021. It is the administrative centre and largest settleme ...
third.
Etymology
The name Lincoln may come from this period, when the settlement is thought to have been named in the
Brittonic language of Iron Age Britain's
Celtic inhabitants as ''Lindon'', "The Pool",
presumably referring to Brayford Pool (compare the etymology of
Dublin
Dublin is the capital and largest city of Republic of Ireland, Ireland. Situated on Dublin Bay at the mouth of the River Liffey, it is in the Provinces of Ireland, province of Leinster, and is bordered on the south by the Dublin Mountains, pa ...
, from the Gaelic ''dubh linn'' "black pool"). The extent of the original settlement is unknown, as its remains are buried beneath the later Roman and medieval ruins and modern Lincoln.
Lincoln also means in
Latin
Latin ( or ) is a classical language belonging to the Italic languages, Italic branch of the Indo-European languages. Latin was originally spoken by the Latins (Italic tribe), Latins in Latium (now known as Lazio), the lower Tiber area aroun ...
a ‘colonial town’ and in
Old English
Old English ( or , or ), 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 developed from the languages brought to Great Britain by Anglo-S ...
‘A city; an old fortification; a Roman site'.
History
Earliest history
The earliest origins of Lincoln can be traced to remains of an
Iron Age
The Iron Age () is the final epoch of the three historical Metal Ages, after the Chalcolithic and Bronze Age. It has also been considered as the final age of the three-age division starting with prehistory (before recorded history) and progre ...
settlement of round wooden dwellings, discovered by archaeologists in 1972, which have been dated to the 1st century BCE. It was built by
Brayford Pool on the
River Witham at the foot of a large hill, on which the
Normans
The Normans (Norman language, Norman: ''Normaunds''; ; ) were a population arising in the medieval Duchy of Normandy from the intermingling between Norsemen, Norse Viking settlers and locals of West Francia. The Norse settlements in West Franc ...
later built
Lincoln Cathedral and
Lincoln Castle.
Lindum Colonia

The Romans conquered this part of Britain in 48 CE and soon built a legionary fortress high on a hill overlooking the natural lake, Brayford Pool, formed by the widening of the River Witham, and the northern end of the
Fosse Way Roman road (A46). Celtic ''Lindon'' was later
Latinised to ''Lindum'' and the title ''Colonia'' added when it became settled by army veterans.
The conversion to a ''colonia'' occurred when the legion moved on to
York
York is a cathedral city in North Yorkshire, England, with Roman Britain, Roman origins, sited at the confluence of the rivers River Ouse, Yorkshire, Ouse and River Foss, Foss. It has many historic buildings and other structures, such as a Yor ...
(''Eboracum'') in 71 CE. Lindum colonia or more fully, Colonia Domitiana Lindensium, after the then Emperor
Domitian, was set up within the walls of the hilltop fortress by extending it with about an equal area, down the hillside to the waterside.
It became a flourishing settlement accessible from the sea through the
River Trent and through the River Witham. On the basis of a patently corrupt list of British bishops said to have attended the
314 Council of Arles, the city is often seen as having been the capital of the
province of
Flavia Caesariensis, formed during the late 3rd-century
Diocletian Reforms. Subsequently, the town and its waterways declined. By the close of the 5th century, it was largely deserted, although some occupation continued under a ''Praefectus Civitatis'' –
Saint Paulinus visited a man holding this office in Lincoln in 629 CE.
Lincylene
Germanic tribes from the North Sea area settled Lincolnshire in the 5th to 6th centuries. The Latin ''Lindum Colonia'' shrank in
Old English
Old English ( or , or ), 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 developed from the languages brought to Great Britain by Anglo-S ...
to Lindocolina, then to Lincylene.
After the first
Viking raids, the city again rose to some importance with overseas trading ties. In Viking times Lincoln had its own mint, by far the most important in Lincolnshire and by the end of the 10th century, comparable in output to that of
York
York is a cathedral city in North Yorkshire, England, with Roman Britain, Roman origins, sited at the confluence of the rivers River Ouse, Yorkshire, Ouse and River Foss, Foss. It has many historic buildings and other structures, such as a Yor ...
. After establishment of the
Danelaw in 886, Lincoln became one of the
Five East Midland Boroughs. Excavations at Flaxengate reveal that an area deserted since Roman times received timber-framed buildings fronting a new street system in about 900. Lincoln underwent an economic explosion with the settlement of the
Danes. Like York, the Upper City seems to have had purely administrative functions up to 850 or so, while the Lower City, down the hill towards the River Witham, may have been largely deserted. By 950, however, the Witham banks were developed, the Lower City resettled and the suburb of Wigford emerging as a trading centre. In 1068, two years after the
Norman conquest of England
The Norman Conquest (or the Conquest) was the 11th-century invasion and occupation of England by an army made up of thousands of Normans, Norman, French people, French, Flemish people, Flemish, and Bretons, Breton troops, all led by the Du ...
,
William I ordered Lincoln Castle to be built on the site of the old Roman settlement, for the same strategic reasons and controlling the same road, the
Fosse Way.
Green cloth

During
the Anarchy, in 1141 Lincoln was the site of a
battle
A battle is an occurrence of combat in warfare between opposing military units of any number or size. A war usually consists of multiple battles. In general, a battle is a military engagement that is well defined in duration, area, and force co ...
between
King Stephen and the forces of
Empress Matilda, led by her illegitimate half-brother
Robert, 1st Earl of Gloucester. After fierce fighting in the city streets, Stephen's forces were defeated and Stephen himself captured and taken to
Bristol
Bristol () is a City status in the United Kingdom, cathedral city, unitary authority area and ceremonial county in South West England, the most populous city in the region. Built around the River Avon, Bristol, River Avon, it is bordered by t ...
.
By 1150, Lincoln was among the wealthiest towns in England, based economically on cloth and
wool exported to
Flanders
Flanders ( or ; ) is the Dutch language, Dutch-speaking northern portion of Belgium and one of the communities, regions and language areas of Belgium. However, there are several overlapping definitions, including ones related to culture, la ...
; Lincoln
weavers had set up a
guild
A guild ( ) is an association of artisans and merchants who oversee the practice of their craft/trade in a particular territory. The earliest types of guild formed as organizations of tradespeople belonging to a professional association. They so ...
in 1130 to produce Lincoln Cloth, especially the fine dyed "scarlet" and "green", whose reputation was later enhanced by the legendary
Robin Hood
Robin Hood is a legendary noble outlaw, heroic outlaw originally depicted in English folklore and subsequently featured in literature, theatre, and cinema. According to legend, he was a highly skilled archer and swordsman. In some versions o ...
wearing woollens of
Lincoln green. In the Guildhall, surmounting the city gate called the
Stonebow, the ancient Council Chamber contains Lincoln's civic insignia, a fine collection of civic regalia.
Outside the precincts of cathedral and castle, the old quarter clustered round the Bailgate and down
Steep Hill to the
High Street and
High Bridge, whose
half-timbered housing juts out over the river. There are three ancient churches:
St Mary le Wigford and
St Peter at Gowts, both 11th century in origin, and
St Mary Magdalene, from the late 13th century. The last is an unusual English dedication to a saint whose cult was coming into vogue on the European continent at the time.
Lincoln was home to one of five main
Jewish communities in England, well established before it was officially noted in 1154. In 1190,
anti-Semitic riots that started in
King's Lynn, Norfolk, spread to Lincoln; the Jewish community took refuge with royal officials, but their homes were plundered. The so-called
House of Aaron has a two-storey street frontage that is essentially 12th century and the nearby
Jew's House likewise bears witness to the Jewish population.
In 1255, the affair called "
The Libel of Lincoln" in which prominent Lincoln Jews, accused of ritual murder of a Christian boy (
Little Saint Hugh of Lincoln
Hugh of Lincoln (1246 – 27 August 1255) was an English boy whose death in Lincoln, England, Lincoln was blood libel, falsely attributed to Jews. He is sometimes known as Little Saint Hugh or Little Sir Hugh to distinguish him from the adu ...
in medieval folklore) were sent to the
Tower of London and 18 executed.
The Jews were all expelled in 1290.
Thirteenth-century Lincoln was England's third largest city and a favourite of more than one king. In the
First Barons' War, it was caught in the strife between the king and rebel barons allied with the French.
Here and at
Dover the French and Rebel army was defeated. Thereafter the town was pillaged for having sided with
Prince Louis.
In the
Second Barons' War, of 1266, the disinherited rebels attacked the Jews of Lincoln, ransacked the
synagogue
A synagogue, also called a shul or a temple, is a place of worship for Jews and Samaritans. It is a place for prayer (the main sanctuary and sometimes smaller chapels) where Jews attend religious services or special ceremonies such as wed ...
and burned the records that registered debts.
Decline, dissolution and damage
Some historians have the city's fortunes declining from the 14th century, but others argue that it remained buoyant in trade and communications well into the 15th. In 1409, the city became a
county corporate: the County of the City of Lincoln, formerly part of the
West Riding of Lindsey since at least the time of the
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 at the behest of William the Conqueror. The manuscript was originally known by ...
. Additional rights were then conferred by successive monarchs, including those of an assay town (controlling metal manufacturing, for example). The oldest surviving
secular drama
Drama is the specific Mode (literature), mode of fiction Mimesis, represented in performance: a Play (theatre), play, opera, mime, ballet, etc., performed in a theatre, or on Radio drama, radio or television.Elam (1980, 98). Considered as a g ...
in English, ''
The Interlude of the Student and the Girl'' (), may have originated from Lincoln.
Lincoln's
coat of arms
A coat of arms is a heraldry, heraldic communication design, visual design on an escutcheon (heraldry), escutcheon (i.e., shield), surcoat, or tabard (the last two being outer garments), originating in Europe. The coat of arms on an escutcheon f ...
, not officially endorsed by the
College of Arms, is believed to date from the 14th century. It is ''
Argent on a
cross gules a
fleur-de-lis or''. The cross is believed to derive from the Diocese. The fleur-de-lis symbolises the cathedral dedication to the Virgin Mary. The
motto is CIVITAS LINCOLNIA ("City of Lincoln").
The
dissolution of the monasteries cut Lincoln's main source of diocesan income and dried up the network of patronage controlled by the bishop. Seven monasteries closed in the city alone, as did several nearby abbeys, which further diminished the region's political power. A symbol of Lincoln's economic and political decline came in 1549, when the cathedral's great spire rotted and collapsed and was not replaced. However, the comparative poverty of post-medieval Lincoln preserved pre-medieval structures that would probably have been lost under more prosperous conditions.
Between 1642 and 1651 in the
English Civil War
The English Civil War or Great Rebellion was a series of civil wars and political machinations between Cavaliers, Royalists and Roundhead, Parliamentarians in the Kingdom of England from 1642 to 1651. Part of the wider 1639 to 1653 Wars of th ...
, Lincoln was on a frontier between the
Royalist and
Parliamentary forces and changed hands several times.
[.] Many buildings were badly damaged. Lincoln now had no major industry and no easy access to the sea. It suffered as the rest of the country was beginning to prosper in the early 18th century, travellers often commenting on what had essentially become a one-street town.
Revolutions
By the
Georgian era, Lincoln's fortunes began to pick up, thanks in part to the
Agricultural Revolution. Reopening of the
Foss Dyke canal eased imports of coal and other raw materials vital to industry. Along with the economic growth of Lincoln in this period, the city boundaries were spread to include the West Common. To this day, an annual Beat the Boundaries walk takes place along its perimeter.
Coupled with the arrival of railway links, Lincoln boomed again during the
Industrial Revolution
The Industrial Revolution, sometimes divided into the First Industrial Revolution and Second Industrial Revolution, was a transitional period of the global economy toward more widespread, efficient and stable manufacturing processes, succee ...
, and several famous companies arose, such as
Ruston's,
Clayton's,
Proctor's and
William Foster's. Lincoln began to excel in heavy engineering, by building locomotives, steam shovels and all manner of heavy machinery.
It was also around this time that the town's name became overshadowed in the world's consciousness by a different meaning of the word “Lincoln”: namely, U.S. President
Abraham Lincoln
Abraham Lincoln (February 12, 1809 – April 15, 1865) was the 16th president of the United States, serving from 1861 until Assassination of Abraham Lincoln, his assassination in 1865. He led the United States through the American Civil War ...
, who led his country through
their brutal Civil War and succeeded in abolishing
nearly all slavery within its borders. Abraham Lincoln's surname does trace back to the English town of Lincoln, but his family had migrated to
America long before his birth. Many locations in the U.S. now bear the name Lincoln, such as
Lincoln, Nebraska
Lincoln is the List of capitals in the United States, capital city of the U.S. state of Nebraska. The city covers and had a population of 291,082 as of the 2020 census. It is the state's List of cities in Nebraska, second-most populous city a ...
. But the shared name with England's Lincoln is only coincidental, as the U.S. place names were named in honor of Abraham Lincoln.
A permanent military presence came with the 1857 completion of the
"Old Barracks" (now held by the
Museum of Lincolnshire Life). They were replaced by the "New Barracks" (now
Sobraon Barracks) in 1890, when
Lincoln Drill Hall in Broadgate also opened.
20th and 21st centuries

Lincoln was hit by
typhoid
Typhoid fever, also known simply as typhoid, is a disease caused by ''Salmonella enterica'' serotype Typhi bacteria, also called ''Salmonella'' Typhi. Symptoms vary from mild to severe, and usually begin six to 30 days after exposure. Often ther ...
in November 1904 – August 1905 caused by polluted drinking water from Hartsholme Lake and the
River Witham. Over 1,000 people contracted the disease and fatalities totalled 113, including the man responsible for the city's water supply, Liam Kirk of Baker Crescent. Near the beginning of the epidemic, Dr Alexander Cruickshank Houston installed a chlorine
disinfection
A disinfectant is a chemical substance or compound used to inactivate or destroy microorganisms on inert surfaces. Disinfection does not necessarily kill all microorganisms, especially resistant bacterial spores; it is less effective than ...
system just ahead of the poorly operating, slow sand filter, to kill the fatal bacteria.
Chlorination of the water continued until 1911, when a new supply was implemented. Lincoln's chlorination episode was an early use of chlorine to disinfect a water supply.
Westgate Water Tower was built to provide new supplies.
In the two
world wars, Lincoln switched to war production. The first ever
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 battlefield mobility provided by tracks and a powerful engine; ...
s were invented, designed and built in Lincoln by
William Foster & Co. in the
First World War
World War I or the First World War (28 July 1914 – 11 November 1918), also known as the Great War, was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War I, Allies (or Entente) and the Central Powers. Fighting to ...
and population growth provided more workers for greater expansion. The tanks were tested on land now covered by Tritton Road in the south-west suburbs. In the
Second World War
World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...
, Lincoln produced an array of war goods: tanks, aircraft,
munitions and military vehicles.
In World War II 26 high explosive bombs were dropped on the city, with around 500 incendiary bombs, over five occasions, with eight people killed. 50 houses were destroyed, with the worst night being 9 May 1941. Also much damage occurred in the Dixon Street area on Friday 15 January 1943. Two parachute mines landed in fields on South Common on the night of 19 November 1940, which exploded and broke many windows in the town, but with no more damage. On 8 May 1941, nine high explosive bombs were dropped on around Westwick Gardens in Boultham Park, east of the former
Ancaster High School, killing three people.
A Spitfire and Hurricane, from
RAF Digby, collided over Lincoln. One pilot landed on allotments near Kingsway, and another landed near Branston Road. The Spitfire crashed on a house in Drake Street, and the Hurricane did a full circuit of the north of Lincoln, with no pilot aboard, and descended over the top of St Mary le Wigford church, to crash into a row of houses and shops, killing three people, and injuring nine.
Ruston & Hornsby produced
diesel engine
The diesel engine, named after the German engineer Rudolf Diesel, is an internal combustion engine in which Combustion, ignition of diesel fuel is caused by the elevated temperature of the air in the cylinder due to Mechanics, mechanical Compr ...
s for ships and
locomotive
A locomotive is a rail transport, rail vehicle that provides the motive power for a train. Traditionally, locomotives pulled trains from the front. However, Push–pull train, push–pull operation has become common, and in the pursuit for ...
s, then by teaming up with former colleagues of
Frank Whittle and
Power Jets Ltd, in the early 1950s, R & H (which became RGT) opened the first production line for
gas turbine
A gas turbine or gas turbine engine is a type of Internal combustion engine#Continuous combustion, continuous flow internal combustion engine. The main parts common to all gas turbine engines form the power-producing part (known as the gas gene ...
engines for land-based and sea-based energy production. Its success made it the city's largest single employer, providing over 5,000 jobs in its factory and research facilities, making it a rich takeover target for industrial conglomerates. It was subsumed by
English Electric
The English Electric Company Limited (EE) was a British industrial manufacturer formed after World War I by amalgamating five businesses which, during the war, made munitions, armaments and aeroplanes.
It initially specialised in industrial el ...
in November 1966, which was then bought by
GEC in 1968, with diesel engine production being transferred to the Ruston Diesels Division in
Newton-le-Willows, Lancashire, at the former
Vulcan Foundry.
Pelham Works merged with
Alstom of France in the late 1980s and was then bought in 2003 by
Siemens of Germany as
Siemens Industrial Turbomachinery. This includes what is left of
Napier Turbochargers. Plans came early in 2008 for a new plant outside the city at
Teal Park,
North Hykeham. Still, Siemens made large redundancies and moved jobs to Sweden and the Netherlands. The factory now employs 1300. R & H's former
Beevor Foundry is now owned by
Hoval Group, making industrial boilers (
wood chip). The Aerospace Manufacturing Facility (AMF) in Firth Road passed from Alstom Aerospace Ltd to
ITP Engines UK in January 2009.
Lincoln's second largest private employer is James Dawson and Son, a belting and hose maker founded in the late 19th century. Its two sites are in Tritton Road. The main one, next to the University of Lincoln, used Lincoln's last coal-fired boiler until it was replaced by gas in July 2018.
New suburbs appeared after 1945, but heavy industry declined towards the end of the 20th century. Much development, notably around the Brayford area, has followed the construction of the University of Lincoln's Brayford Campus, which opened in 1996. In 2012, Bishop Grosseteste teaching college was also awarded university status.
Economy
34 per cent of Lincoln's workforce are in public administration, education and health; distribution, restaurants and hotels account for 25 per cent.
Industrial relics like
Ruston (now
Siemens) remain, with empty industrial warehouse buildings becoming multi-use units, with the likes of the
University of Lincoln, local
Lincs FM radio station (in the ''Titanic Works'') and gyms using some of the space. The
old Corn Exchange, completed in 1848, is now used as a shopping arcade, and the
newer Corn Exchange, completed in 1879, is now used as a restaurant and shops.
Like many other cities, Lincoln has a growing
IT economy, with many e-commerce mail order companies. Two electronics firms are
e2V and
Dynex Semiconductor. Bifrangi, an Italian maker of
crankshafts for
off-road vehicles using a
screw press, is based at the former ''Tower Works'' owned by Smith-Clayton Forge Ltd.
Lincoln is the hub for settlements such as Welton, Saxilby, Skellingthorpe and Washingborough, which look to it for most services and employment needs. Added they raise the population to 165,000.
Lincoln is the main centre for jobs and facilities in Central Lincolnshire and performs a regional role over much of Lincolnshire and parts of Nottinghamshire. According to a document entitled "Central Lincolnshire Local Plan Core Strategy", Lincoln has a "travel-to-work" area with a population of about 300,000.
In 2021, Lincoln City Council joined the UK's Key Cities network to help the city's public sector.
The
University of Lincoln and Lincoln's colleges contribute to the city's growth in the small firms, services, restaurants and entertainment venues. A small business unit next door to a student accommodation facility, the Think Tank, opened in June 2009. Some entertainment venues linked to the university include
The Engine Shed and The Venue Cinema. Its presence has also built-up the area around the Brayford Pool.
Tourism

The city is a tourist centre for visitors to historic buildings that include the cathedral, the castle and the medieval Bishop's Palace.
The Collection, of which the Usher Gallery is now part, is an important attraction, partly in a purpose-built venue. It currently contains over 2,000,000 objects, and was one of the four finalists for the 2006
Gulbenkian Prize. Any material from official archaeological excavations in Lincolnshire is eventually deposited there. Other attractions include the
Museum of Lincolnshire Life and the
International Bomber Command Centre.
Tranquil destinations close by are
Whisby Nature Reserve and
Hartsholme Country Park (including the Swanholme Lakes
SSSI), while noisier entertainment can be found at
Scampton airfield,
Waddington airfield (base of the
RAF's Red Arrows jet
aerobatic team), the County Showground or the
Cadwell Park motor racing circuit near
Louth.
Early each December the Bailgate area holds a
Christmas Market in and around the Castle grounds, shaped by the traditional German-style Christmas markets, including that of Lincoln's twin town
Neustadt an der Weinstrasse. In 2010, for the first time, the event was cancelled due to "atrocious" snowfalls across most of the United Kingdom. It succumbed again in December 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Demography
Ethnicity

In the 2021 census, the population of Lincoln district was 103,813.
The largest ethnic group was
White British at 82.7%, with all ‘other white’ groups constituting 9.5%, followed by
South Asian at 3.2%,
Mixed race at 2%,
Black British
Black British people or Black Britons"Black Briton, N." ''Oxford English Dictionary''. Oxford UP. December 2024. https://doi.org/10.1093/OED/1136579918. are a multi-ethnic group of British people of List of ethnic groups of Africa, Sub-Saharan ...
at 1.4%, other ethnic minorities made up 0.9% and Arab were 0.2%. This makes the ethnic makeup of the city 92% White and 8% ethnic minorities.
15.1% of the people living in Lincoln were born outside of the UK, of which 9.6% are from ‘other European countries’. The most common countries of birth aside from the UK are
Poland
Poland, officially the Republic of Poland, is a country in Central Europe. It extends from the Baltic Sea in the north to the Sudetes and Carpathian Mountains in the south, bordered by Lithuania and Russia to the northeast, Belarus and Ukrai ...
at 2.6%,
Romania
Romania is a country located at the crossroads of Central Europe, Central, Eastern Europe, Eastern and Southeast Europe. It borders Ukraine to the north and east, Hungary to the west, Serbia to the southwest, Bulgaria to the south, Moldova to ...
at 1.4%, and
Lithuania
Lithuania, officially the Republic of Lithuania, is a country in the Baltic region of Europe. It is one of three Baltic states and lies on the eastern shore of the Baltic Sea, bordered by Latvia to the north, Belarus to the east and south, P ...
at 1.1%.
Religious sites
Lincoln is home to many active and former churches. These serve the
city centre
A city centre, also known as an urban core, is the Commerce, commercial, Culture, cultural and often the historical, Politics, political, and geographic heart of a city. The term "city centre" is primarily used in British English, and closely e ...
, outer suburbs of the city and urban area.
Lincoln Central Mosque and Cultural Centre is on Dixon Street. The city has no Sikh or Hindu temples, with the nearest ones being in
Scunthorpe
Scunthorpe () is an industrial town in Lincolnshire, England, and the county's third most populous settlement after Lincoln, England, Lincoln and Grimsby, with a population of 81,286 in 2021. It is the administrative centre and largest settleme ...
,
Grimsby,
Nottingham
Nottingham ( , East Midlands English, locally ) is a City status in the United Kingdom, city and Unitary authorities of England, unitary authority area in Nottinghamshire, East Midlands, England. It is located south-east of Sheffield and nor ...
and
Doncaster
Doncaster ( ) is a city status in the United Kingdom, city in South Yorkshire, England. Named after the River Don, Yorkshire, River Don, it is the administrative centre of the City of Doncaster metropolitan borough, and is the second largest se ...
. The
Jewish
Jews (, , ), or the Jewish people, are an ethnoreligious group and nation, originating from the Israelites of History of ancient Israel and Judah, ancient Israel and Judah. They also traditionally adhere to Judaism. Jewish ethnicity, rel ...
Lincoln Synagogue is on
Steep Hill, in the ancient building,
Jews' Court, which is believed to be the site of the original medieval synagogue. There is also an international temple on James Street.
Churches in the city include:
St Mary le Wigford,
St Giles,
St Benedicts,
St Swithin's,
Lincoln Cathedral,
St Hugh's,
St Katherine's,
Alive Church,
Saint Peter at Gowts,
Central Methodist Church,
St Nicholas Lincoln Unitarian Chapel and
Greek Orthodox Church of St Basil the Great and St Paisios and others in the city and outer suburbs. The 1950s built former Ermine
United Reform Church building was acquired by the local council and as of 2025 is facing demolition.
Cathedral
Construction of the first Lincoln Cathedral within a ''close'' or walled precinct facing the castle began when the see was removed from the quiet backwater of
Dorchester-on-Thames,
Oxfordshire
Oxfordshire ( ; abbreviated ''Oxon'') is a ceremonial county in South East England. The county is bordered by Northamptonshire and Warwickshire to the north, Buckinghamshire to the east, Berkshire to the south, and Wiltshire and Glouceste ...
. It was completed in 1092 and rebuilt after a fire, but succumbed to the
1185 East Midlands earthquake. The rebuilt minster, enlarged eastwards several times, was on a grand scale, its
crossing tower crowned by a spire reputedly Europe's highest at . When complete, the central spire is widely accepted to have succeeded the
Great Pyramids of Egypt as the
world's tallest man-made structure.
The Lincoln bishops were among the magnates of medieval England. The
Diocese of Lincoln, the largest in England, had more monasteries than the rest of England put together, and the diocese was supported by large estates. When
Magna Carta
(Medieval Latin for "Great Charter"), sometimes spelled Magna Charta, is a royal charter of rights agreed to by King John of England at Runnymede, near Windsor, on 15 June 1215. First drafted by the Archbishop of Canterbury, Cardin ...
was drawn up in 1215, one of the witnesses was
Hugh of Wells,
Bishop of Lincoln. One of only four surviving originals of the document is preserved in
Lincoln Castle.

Among the famous bishops of Lincoln were
Robert Bloet, the magnificent
justiciar to
Henry I,
Hugh of Avalon, the cathedral builder canonised as
St Hugh of Lincoln,
Robert Grosseteste, the 13th-century intellectual,
Henry Beaufort, chancellor of
Henry V and
Henry VI,
Thomas Rotherham, a politician deeply involved in the
Wars of the Roses
The Wars of the Roses, known at the time and in following centuries as the Civil Wars, were a series of armed confrontations, machinations, battles and campaigns fought over control of the English throne from 1455 to 1487. The conflict was fo ...
,
Philip Repyngdon, chaplain to
Henry IV and defender of
Wycliffe, and
Thomas Wolsey, the lord chancellor of
Henry VIII. Theologian
William de Montibus headed the cathedral school and was its chancellor until he died in 1213.
The administrative centre was the
Bishop's Palace, the third element in the central complex. When built in the late 12th century by Hugh of Lincoln, the Bishop's Palace was one of the most important buildings in England. Its East Hall over a vaulted undercroft is the earliest surviving example of a roofed domestic hall. The chapel range and entrance tower were built by Bishop William of Alnwick, who modernised the palace in the 1430s. Both Henry VIII and
James I were guests there. The palace was sacked in 1648 by royalist troops during the
civil war
A civil war is a war between organized groups within the same Sovereign state, state (or country). The aim of one side may be to take control of the country or a region, to achieve independence for a region, or to change government policies.J ...
.
Geography and environment
Lincoln lies at an altitude of by the River Witham up to on Castle Hill. It fills a gap in the
Lincoln Cliff escarpment, which runs north and south through
Central Lincolnshire, with altitudes up to .
The city lies on the
River Witham, which flows through this gap. The city is southwest of
Hull, north-east of
Nottingham
Nottingham ( , East Midlands English, locally ) is a City status in the United Kingdom, city and Unitary authorities of England, unitary authority area in Nottinghamshire, East Midlands, England. It is located south-east of Sheffield and nor ...
, north of
Peterborough, southeast of
Leeds
Leeds is a city in West Yorkshire, England. It is the largest settlement in Yorkshire and the administrative centre of the City of Leeds Metropolitan Borough, which is the second most populous district in the United Kingdom. It is built aro ...
and east south-east of
Sheffield
Sheffield is a city in South Yorkshire, England, situated south of Leeds and east of Manchester. The city is the administrative centre of the City of Sheffield. It is historically part of the West Riding of Yorkshire and some of its so ...
.
Uphill and Downhill
Due to the variation in altitude, which presents something of an obstacle, Lincoln is divided informally into two zones: uphill and downhill.
The uphill area comprises the northern part of the city, on top of the Lincoln Cliff (to the north of the gap). This includes the historical quarter, including
Lincoln Cathedral,
Lincoln Castle and the Medieval Bishop's Palace, known locally as The Bail (though described in tourist literature as the Cathedral Quarter).
It also has residential suburbs to the north and north-east. The downhill area comprises the
city centre
A city centre, also known as an urban core, is the Commerce, commercial, Culture, cultural and often the historical, Politics, political, and geographic heart of a city. The term "city centre" is primarily used in British English, and closely e ...
and suburbs to the south and south-west.
Steep Hill is a narrow, pedestrian street directly connecting the two. It passes through an archway known as the
Stonebow.
This divide, peculiar to Lincoln, was once an important class distinction, with uphill more affluent and downhill less so. The distinction dates from the time of the
Norman Conquest
The Norman Conquest (or the Conquest) was the 11th-century invasion and occupation of England by an army made up of thousands of Normans, Norman, French people, French, Flemish people, Flemish, and Bretons, Breton troops, all led by the Du ...
, when the religious and military elite occupied the hilltop.
The expansion of suburbs in both parts of the city since the mid-19th century has diluted the distinction.
Ecology
The
mute swan is an iconic species for Lincoln. Many pairs nest each year beside the Brayford, and they feature on the university's heraldic emblem. Other bird life within the city includes
peregrine falcon,
tawny owl and
common kingfisher.
Mammals on the city edges include
red fox,
roe deer and
least weasel.
European perch,
northern pike and
bream are among fishes seen in the Witham and Brayford. Nature reserves around the city include Greetwell Hollow SSSI, Swanholme SSSI,
Whisby Nature Park,
Boultham Mere and
Hartsholme Country Park.
Since 2016,
little egrets have nested in the Birchwood area and
otters
Otters are carnivorous mammals in the Rank (zoology), subfamily Lutrinae. The 13 extant otter species are all semiaquatic, aquatic animal, aquatic, or Marine ecology, marine. Lutrinae is a branch of the Mustelidae Family (biology), family, whi ...
appeared in the River Witham. Both are native to Britain and repopulating the area after near extermination.
Several invasive species of plants and animals have reached Lincoln.
Japanese knotweed and
Himalayan balsam are Asian plant species around the River Witham.
Galinsoga
''Galinsoga'' is a genus of flowering plants in the family Asteraceae. It is native to North and South America and the West Indies, and naturalized in Europe, Asia, Africa, and Australia.
The name ''Galinsoga'' was dedicated to Ignacio Mariano ...
and
Amsinckia are American species found among city weeds, also
American mink which are occasionally seen on the Witham.
Built-up area
The Lincoln built-up area extends outside of the city boundaries and includes the town of
North Hykeham and the villages of
Bracebridge Heath
Bracebridge Heath is a village and civil parish in the North Kesteven district of Lincolnshire, England. It is south of Lincoln, England, Lincoln and straddles the border with the Lincoln and North Kesteven district boundaries.
It lies at the ...
,
Canwick,
South Hykeham and
Waddington. It had a population of 115,000 according to the 2011 census.
Districts and suburban areas
Despite its relatively limited district boundaries, Lincoln has had many older suburbs which date as far back as its Roman origins. Notable historic districts, that still survive in name or other uses include:
*
Monks Road - Historically known as the "East End" of Lincoln. The area is home to many older and newer buildings which include but are not limited to:
All Saints' Church,
Lincoln College,
St Hugh's Church,
Lincoln Arboretum, Monks Abbey and partly
Lincoln County Hospital. The area is the most culturally diverse area of the city in terms of residents from ethnic backgrounds and religions.
*
Newland - Historically home to the port of Lincoln on the
River Witham, now
Brayford Pool is one of the oldest areas of the city. It dates back to as far as 1100 and remains one of the most busy and historic areas of the city itself. It is home to a range of old and new buildings including:
Alive Church, Brayford Pool,
Lincoln University,
Lincoln City Hall and Chimes Water Clock.
*
Newport - Historically home to part of the historic
castra
''Castra'' () is a Latin language, Latin term used during the Roman Republic and Roman Empire for a military 'camp', and ''castrum'' () for a 'Fortification, fort'. Either could refer to a building or plot of land, used as a fortified milita ...
of the settlement of
Lindum Colonia (now Lincoln) and dating back to 1269. It is most notable for its landmarks such as the
Newport Arch, Bailgate Methodist Church,
Westgate Water Tower, St Nicholas Church and the
Bishop Grosseteste University.
*
West End - Historically part of the Roman City of Lucy Tower. It is mostly a residential area made up of old and new properties. It is home to notable landmarks including
Lincoln Grand Stand, West Common, St Faith's Church and the
Foss Dyke.
*
Wigford - Historically separate from the city, it is now the main
High Street between
Lincoln City Centre and
St Catherine's. Wigford is home to many landmarks of Lincoln including
St Mary le Wigford Church,
Guildhall and Stonebow,
St Peter at Gowts Church,
St Botolph's Church,
Central Methodist Church, the
Thomas Cooper Memorial Baptist Church,
Sincil Dyke,
St Benedict's Church and the
Cornhill Quarter.
Other areas of the city include historical hamlets and villages such as
Boultham Moor
Boultham Moor is a suburb (and former village) in the district of the City of Lincoln, Lincolnshire
Lincolnshire (), abbreviated ''Lincs'', is a Ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial county in the East Midlands and Yorkshire and the ...
,
Bracebridge and Swallowbeck. As well as small parts of the nearby town of
North Hykeham and parts of villages of
Canwick and
Waddington. As well as the former
RAF Skellingthorpe site now occupied by
Birchwood. Lincoln is also undergoing major expansion with a brand new
Western Growth Corridor between
Skellingthorpe, Birchwood and
Hartsholme.
Climate
Lincoln has a typical East Midland
maritime climate of cool summers and mild winters. The nearest
Met Office weather station is at
RAF Waddington, to the south. Temperature extremes since 1948 have ranged between on
19 July 2022,
and in February 1956. A former weather station holds the record for the lowest daytime maximum temperature recorded in England in the month of December: on 17 December 1981. The lowest recent temperature was in December 2010, although another weather station at
Scampton, a similar distance north of the city centre, fell to , so equalling Waddington's record low set in 1956.
Transport
Rail
Lincoln railway station is at the meeting point of four railway lines, which run
to Newark,
Gainsborough,
Grimsby and
Sleaford. It is served by direct trains to
London King's Cross,
Leicester
Leicester ( ) is a city status in the United Kingdom, city, Unitary authorities of England, unitary authority area, and the county town of Leicestershire in the East Midlands of England. It is the largest city in the East Midlands with a popula ...
,
Nottingham
Nottingham ( , East Midlands English, locally ) is a City status in the United Kingdom, city and Unitary authorities of England, unitary authority area in Nottinghamshire, East Midlands, England. It is located south-east of Sheffield and nor ...
,
Sheffield
Sheffield is a city in South Yorkshire, England, situated south of Leeds and east of Manchester. The city is the administrative centre of the City of Sheffield. It is historically part of the West Riding of Yorkshire and some of its so ...
,
Doncaster
Doncaster ( ) is a city status in the United Kingdom, city in South Yorkshire, England. Named after the River Don, Yorkshire, River Don, it is the administrative centre of the City of Doncaster metropolitan borough, and is the second largest se ...
,
Grimsby Town and
Peterborough.
Hykeham railway station is located in the southwestern suburbs and is served by local trains on the line to Newark.
The city was previously served by three other railway lines: the
Lincolnshire loop line, the
Lancashire, Derbyshire and East Coast Railway and the
Grantham and Lincoln railway line Trains on the Newark line formerly stopped at
Lincoln St Marks, a separate station to the south, until they were diverted to the current station in 1985. Its site is now part of a shopping park.
Road
The city lies on the A57, A46, A15 and A158 roads. These bring high levels of through traffic and bypasses have been built. To the north west is the £19-million
A46 bypass opened in December 1985. On 19 December 2020 the £122-million A15 Eastern bypass was completed. A southern bypass, the North Hykeham relief road, is due to start construction in 2025 and will be the final section of a complete ring road around the city.
Until the 1980s, two trunk roads passed through Lincoln: the A46 and A15, both feeding traffic along the High Street. At the intersection of Guildhall Street and the High Street, the roads met at the termination of the A57. North of the city centre, the former A15 (
Riseholme Road) is now the B1226, and the old A46 (
Nettleham Road) is now the B1182. The early northern inner ring-road, formed of Yarborough Road and Yarborough Crescent, is numbered B1273.
Air
East Midlands Airport, 43 miles from Lincoln, is the main international airport serving the county. It mainly handles European flights with low-cost airlines.
Humberside Airport, 29 miles north of Lincoln, is the only airport located in the county. It has a small number of flights mainly to hub airports such as
Amsterdam Schiphol Airport. From 2005 until 2022,
Doncaster Sheffield Airport also served Lincoln.
Education
Higher education
The older of Lincoln's two higher education institutions,
Bishop Grosseteste University, was started as a teacher training college linked to the
Anglican Church in 1862. During the 1990s it branched out into other subject areas with a focus on the arts and drama. It became a university college in 2006 with degree powers taken over from the
University of Leicester. It gained university status in 2012. An annual graduation celebration takes place in Lincoln Cathedral.}
The larger
University of Lincoln started as the
University of Lincolnshire and Humberside in 1996, when the
University of Humberside opened a Lincoln campus next to
Brayford Pool.
Lincoln School of Art and Design (which was Lincolnshire's main outlet for higher education) and Riseholme Agricultural College, previously part of
De Montfort University
De Montfort University Leicester (DMU) is a public university in the city of Leicester, England. It was established in accordance with the Further and Higher Education Act 1992, Further and Higher Education Act in 1992 as a degree awarding body ...
in
Leicester
Leicester ( ) is a city status in the United Kingdom, city, Unitary authorities of England, unitary authority area, and the county town of Leicestershire in the East Midlands of England. It is the largest city in the East Midlands with a popula ...
, were absorbed into the University of Lincoln in 2001, and subsequently the Lincoln campus took priority over the
Hull campus.
The name changed to the University of Lincoln in September 2002. In the 2021–2022 academic year, a total of 18,705 university students studied in the city.
Further education
Further education in Lincoln is provided by
Lincoln College,
Lincolnshire
Lincolnshire (), abbreviated ''Lincs'', is a Ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial county in the East Midlands and Yorkshire and the Humber regions of England. It is bordered by the East Riding of Yorkshire across the Humber estuary to th ...
's largest education institution with 18,500 students, 2,300 of them full-time. There is a specialist creative college, Access Creative, offering courses in music, media and games design to some 180 students, all full-time.
Schools
The school system in Lincoln is anomalous within Lincolnshire despite being part of the same
local education authority (LEA), as most of the county retained the
grammar-school system.
In 1952,
William Farr School was founded in
Welton, a nearby village. Lincoln itself had four single-sex grammar schools until September 1974.
The Priory Academy LSST converted to academy status in 2008, in turn establishing
The Priory Federation of Academies.
The Priory Witham Academy was formed when the federation absorbed Moorlands Infant School, Usher Junior School and Ancaster High School. The
Priory City of Lincoln Academy was formed when the City of Lincoln Community College merged into the federation. Both schools were rebuilt after substantial investment by the federation. Cherry Willingham School joined the federation in 2017, becoming
The Priory Pembroke Academy.
The Lincolnshire LEA was ranked 32nd in the country based on its proportion of pupils attaining at least 5 A–C grades at GCSE including maths and English (62.2% compared with a national average of 58.2%).
There are four special-needs schools in Lincoln: Fortuna Primary School (5–11 year olds), Sincil Sports College (11–16), St Christopher's School (3–16) and St Francis Community Special School (2–18).
Media
The local newspaper, the ''
Lincolnshire Echo'', was founded in 1894. Local radio stations are
BBC Radio Lincolnshire on 94.9 FM, its commercial rival
Greatest Hits Radio Lincolnshire on 102.2FM,
Hits Radio Lincolnshire on DAB and Lincoln City Radio on 103.6 FM a community radio station catering mainly for listeners over 50. ''The Lincolnite'' was an online mobile publication covering the greater-Lincoln area since 2010 but ceased trading in August 2024. There used to be another station named Siren FM, operated by the University of Lincoln, but it ceased broadcasting at the end of June 2024 and the licences have been handed back to Ofcom.
The student publication ''The Linc'' is available online and in print and targets the
University of Lincoln's student population.
Local TV coverage is provided by
BBC Yorkshire and Lincolnshire and
ITV Yorkshire which is received from the
Belmont TV transmitter. The
Waltham TV transmitter can also be received in the city that broadcast
BBC East Midlands and
ITV Central.
Sport

Lincoln's professional
football team is
Lincoln City FC, nicknamed "The Imps", which plays at the
Sincil Bank stadium on the southern edge of the city. The collapse of
ITV Digital, which owed Lincoln City FC more than £100,000, in 2002 saw the team faced with bankruptcy, but it was saved by a fund-raising venture among fans, which returned ownership of the club to them, where it has remained since. The club was the first to be relegated from the English
Football League, when automatic relegation to the
Football Conference was introduced from the 1986–87 season. Lincoln City regained its league place at the first attempt and held onto it until the 2010–11 season, when it was again relegated to the Football Conference.
Lincoln City was the first club managed by
Graham Taylor, who went on to manage the
England national football team from 1990 to 1993. He was at Lincoln City from 1972 to 1977, during which time the club won promotion from the Fourth Division as champions in 1976. The club also won the Football League Division Three North title on three separate occasions, a joint record. Its most successful era was in the early 1980s, winning promotion from the Fourth Division in 1981 and narrowly missing promotion to the Second Division in the two years that followed. It reached the quarter-finals of the FA Cup in 2017, beating several teams in the top two tiers of English football before being defeated by
Arsenal. More recently Lincoln City won Football League Two in the 2018–2019 season and the
EFL Trophy in 2018. It is currently managed by
Michael Skubala.
Lincoln is also home to
Lincoln United FC,
Lincoln Moorlands Railway FC and Lincoln Griffins Ladies FC.
Lincoln hosts other sports facilities such
American football
American football, referred to simply as football in the United States and Canada and also known as gridiron football, is a team sport played by two teams of eleven players on a rectangular American football field, field with goalposts at e ...
's
Lincolnshire Bombers, which plays in the
BAFA National Leagues, the
Lincolnshire Bombers Roller Girls, the Imposters Rollergirls, and hosts Lincoln Rowing centre on the River Witham.
Lindum Hockey Club plays in the north of the city. Since 1956 the city has played host to the Lincoln Grand Prix one-day cycle race, which for some 30 years has used a city-centre finishing circuit incorporating the challenging 1-in-6 cobbled ascent of Michaelgate. Since 2013 the city has had a
professional wrestling
Professional wrestling, often shortened to either pro wrestling or wrestling,The term "wrestling" is most often widely used to specifically refer to modern scripted professional wrestling, though it is also used to refer to Real life, real- ...
promotion and training academy, Lincoln Fight Factory Wrestling. The
Lincoln Lions rugby union team has been playing since 1902.
Two short-lived
greyhound racing tracks were opened by Lincolnshire Greyhound Racing Association. One was the Highfield track in Hykeham Road, which opened on 13 September 1931, and the second the Lincoln Speedway on the Rope Walk, which opened on 4 June 1932. Racing at both was independent, as they were "flapping" tracks unaffiliated to the sport's governing body, the
National Greyhound Racing Club.
Notable people
In alphabetical order:
*
Aaron of Lincoln (c. 1125–1186), medieval Jewish financier
*
Marlon Beresford (born 1969), professional footballer.
*
Gary Blades (born 1980), professional darts player competing in the
Professional Darts Corporation
*
George Boole
George Boole ( ; 2 November 1815 – 8 December 1864) was a largely self-taught English mathematician, philosopher and logician, most of whose short career was spent as the first professor of mathematics at Queen's College, Cork in Ireland. H ...
(1815–1864), mathematician, developer of Boolean logic, born in Lincoln in 1815
*
Peter Buravytskiy (born 2001), trampoline gymnast
*
William Byrd (c. 1539–40 or 1543–1623), composer,
organist attached to
Lincoln Cathedral from 1563 to 1572
*
George Francis Carline (1855–1920), artist, born in Lincoln
*
Jamie Clapham (born 1975), former professional footballer. He currently a first-team coach at
Barnsley F.C.
*
Sam Clucas (born 1990), footballer, who currently plays with
Oldham Athletic A.F.C. He was born and attended school in Lincoln.
*
Peter Day (born 1947), broadcaster. He attended
Lincoln Grammar School.
*
Penelope Fitzgerald (1916–2000), novelist, biographer, born in Penelope Mary Knox in 1916
*
Keith Fordyce (1928–2011), broadcaster, born in Lincoln
*
Lee Frecklington (born 1985), footballer. He last played for the
League One side
Lincoln City.
*
Sheila Gish (1942-2005), Olivier Award winning actress
*
James Hall (historian) (1846–1914), born and raised in Lincoln before leaving for teacher training in 1864, he subsequently settled in Cheshire
*
Francis Hill (1899–1980), local historian, mayor of Lincoln and Chancellor of the University of Nottingham, born in Lincoln in 1899
*
William Hilton (1786–1839), portrait and history painter, born in Lincoln
*
John Hurt (1940–2017), actor. He attended Lincoln School.
*
Colonel John Hutchinson (1615–1664),
Roundhead politician and signatory to the death warrant of
King Charles I. He attended Lincoln Free School.
*
Benjamin Lany (1591–1675), academic, royal chaplain and religious writer. He was
Bishop of Lincoln in 1663–1667.
*
Trevor Lock (born 1973), English comedian, actor and playwright was born in Lincoln.
*
William Logsdail (1859–1944), painter, born in Lincoln
*
Mary Mackie (née Kathleen Mary Whitlam, living), novelist and non-fiction writer, born in Lincoln in the Second World War, she attended
Lincoln Christ's Hospital High School
*
Karen Maitland (born 1956), English author of medieval thriller fiction
*
Neville Marriner (1924–2016), violinist, conductor, founder of the
Academy of St Martin in the Fields, born in Lincoln and educated at
Lincoln Grammar School
*
Ross McLaren (born 1991), actor, born in Lincoln and trained at the
Joyce Mason School of Dance
*
Rose Mead (1867–1946), portrait painter. She attended Lincoln School of Art.
*
Henry Whitehead Moss (1841–1917), born at Lincoln, he went to Lincoln School before attending
Shrewsbury School where he became headmaster
*
Paul Palmer (born 1974), swimmer who won an Olympic silver medal at the Atlanta Olympic Games in 1996, he was twice a short-course world champion
*
William Pool (c. 1783–1856), maritime inventor. He worked in Lincoln in the 1820s and 1830s.
*
Thomas Pownall (1722–1805), politician, Governor of the
Province of Massachusetts Bay
*
Steve Race (1921–2009), musician, broadcaster, host of
Radio 4's ''
My Music'' 1967–1993. He was born in Lincoln and attended Lincoln School in 1932–1939.
*
Fanny Robertson (1765–1855), actress and theatre owner, manager of The Lincoln Circuit of theatres
*
David Robinson (born 1930), film critic and author, official biographer of
Charlie Chaplin
Sir Charles Spencer Chaplin (16 April 188925 December 1977) was an English comic actor, filmmaker, and composer who rose to fame in the era of silent film. He became a worldwide icon through his screen persona, the Tramp, and is considered o ...
.
*
Charlotte Scott (1858–1931), mathematician, born in Lincoln
*
Lee Swaby (born 1976), former professional boxer at both cruiserweight and heavyweight divisions
*
John Taylor (1781–1864), publisher of
John Keats and
John Clare. He attended Lincoln Grammar School.
*
William Tritton (1875–1946), Chairman of
William Foster & Co. Ltd from 1911 to 1939, directly involved in developing the military vehicle, the
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 battlefield mobility provided by tracks and a powerful engine; ...
*
James Ward Usher (1845–1921), jeweller and philanthropist. He spent his life in the city.
*
William T. Warrener (1861–1934), English painter, born in Lincoln in 1861. He attended
Lincoln School of Art.
*
Juan Watterson (born 1980), Manx politician, Speaker of the
House of Keys. He studied at the
University of Lincoln.
*
Victor Wells-Cole (1897–1987), first-class cricketer, British Army officer
International relations
Twin towns
Lincoln is
twinned with:
*
Neustadt an der Weinstraße,
Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany
(since 1969)
*
Port Lincoln,
SA, Australia
(since 1991)
*
Radomsko,
Łódź Voivodeship, Poland
(since 2007)
*
Tangshan,
Hebei
Hebei is a Provinces of China, province in North China. It is China's List of Chinese administrative divisions by population, sixth-most populous province, with a population of over 75 million people. Shijiazhuang is the capital city. It bor ...
, China
(since 1988)
*
Nanchang,
Jiangxi, China
(since 2014)
Freedom of the city
The following people and military units have received the
Freedom of the City of Lincoln.
Individuals
*
Edward Fiennes-Clinton, 18th Earl of Lincoln: 1989
*
Lord Cormack: 18 March 2022.
Military units
*
RAF Waddington: 25 April 1959.
*
RAF Scampton: 14 May 1993.
* 2nd Battalion The
Royal Anglian Regiment: 1997.
* The
Grenadier Guards: 8 May 2008.
Arms
See also
Attractions
*
Empowerment
*
Jew's House
*
Jew's Court
*
Lincoln Arboretum
*
Lincoln Castle
*
Lincoln Cathedral
*
Lincoln City F.C.
*
Lincoln Imp
*
Museum of Lincolnshire Life
*
Newport Arch
*
Norman House
*
Steep Hill
*
The Collection (Lincolnshire)
*
The Lawn, Lincoln
*
Usher Gallery
*
Viking Way
Places
*
Boultham, Lincoln
*
Engine Shed
*
Hartsholme Country Park
*
High Street, Lincoln
*
Theatre Royal, Lincoln
*
Ritz Theatre (Lincoln, England)
*
Lincoln Drill Hall
*
Lincoln Medieval Bishop's Palace
*
Lincoln Performing Arts Centre
*
Lincoln Racecourse
*
St Catherine's, Lincoln
*
St Hugh's Church, Lincoln
*
St Swithin's Church, Lincoln
*
Steep Hill
*
University of Lincoln
*
Bishop Grosseteste University
*
Sincil Bank
People
*
Aaron of Lincoln
*
Hugh of Lincoln
*
Little Saint Hugh of Lincoln
Hugh of Lincoln (1246 – 27 August 1255) was an English boy whose death in Lincoln, England, Lincoln was blood libel, falsely attributed to Jews. He is sometimes known as Little Saint Hugh or Little Sir Hugh to distinguish him from the adu ...
*
Jason Maxwell
Societies and groups
*
The Lincoln Philosophy Café
*
Lincoln Record Society
*
Society for Lincolnshire History and Archaeology at
Jew's Court
Notes
References
Footnotes
Sources
*
*Francis Hill, 1948. ''Medieval Lincoln'' (Cambridge: University Press)
*
*
External links
City of Lincoln Council
*
Video links
Pathe Newsreel, 1950, Europes largest foundry opens in LincolnPathe newsreel, 1934, about Lincoln
{{Authority control
Populated places established in the 1st century BC
Local government in Lincolnshire
County towns in England
Coloniae (Roman)
Non-metropolitan districts of Lincolnshire
Local government districts of the East Midlands
Towns in Lincolnshire
Cities in the East Midlands
Unparished areas in Lincolnshire
Boroughs in England
Former civil parishes in Lincolnshire
River Witham