Lincoln, England

City of Lincoln
	Shown within Lincolnshire
Geography
Status:	City
Region:	East Midlands
Admin. County:	Lincolnshire
Area: - Total	Ranked 328th 35.69 km²
Admin. HQ:	Lincoln
Grid reference:	SK9771
ONS code:	32UD
Demographics
Population: - Total (2004 est.) - Density	Ranked 267th 86,500 2,424 / km²
Ethnicity:	97.8% White
Politics
Arms of The City of Lincoln Council Arms of The City of Lincoln Council Argent on a cross Gules a fleur-de-lis Or http://www.lincoln.gov.uk/
Leadership:	Leader & Cabinet
Executive:	Labour
MP:	Gillian Merron

Lincoln (pronounced "Ling-k'n") is a cathedral city and county town of Lincolnshire, England, a bridging point over the River Witham, with a population, at the 2001 Census of 85,963 for the city proper. The population for the whole built-up area ("Lincoln Urban Area"), which includes North Hykeham and other villages was 104,221, up 6.4% from the 1991 figure of 97,996. Its twin town is Neustadt, Germany.

History

Earliest History: Lindon

The earliest origins of Lincoln can be traced to the remains of an Iron Age settlement of round wooden dwellings (which was discovered by archaeologists in 1972) that have been dated to the 1st century BC. This settlement was built by a deep pool (the modern Brayford Pool) in the River Witham at the foot of a large hill (which today is the site of Lincoln Cathedral and Lincoln Castle.

The Brayford Pool

The origins of the name Lincoln probably come from this period, when the settlement is speculated to have been named in the Brythonic language of the Celtic people as either Lindu, Lindo or Lindun, (or possibly Lindon or Lindunon), a name believed to describe either the Brayford Pool itself, 'dark pool' (Lindu) or possibly an early settlement nearby, 'fort on a hill by a pool' (Lindun) [1]. Whatever the origin of this early name it is known that it was subsequently latinized in the Roman period to Lindum (or Lindum Colonia), which in Anglo-Saxon became Lincoln, the modern name of the city.

It is not possible to know how big this original settlement was as its remains are now buried deep beneath the later Roman and medieval ruins, as well as the modern city of Lincoln.

Roman History: Lindum Colonia

Newport Arch

Under the Romans, Lincoln was a flourishing colony named Colonia Domitiana Lindensium, founded under Domitian, and was at the northern end of the Fosse Way Roman road. The stone Newport Arch, which was the northern gateway to the Roman city, is the only Roman arch in England through which traffic still passes. Only foundations and fragments of the other three Roman gateways remain. The Romans also dug the Fosseway Canal (Fossdyke), linking the rivers Witham and Trent, and also dug an inland quay at the Brayford Pool ('bray ford' means 'the place to cross the swamp'). This allowed boats to get freely all the way to Lincoln and beyond, and the city became a flourishing inland port. During this period it was populated mainly by the local populace and retired legionnaires. After the legions left in 410, the drainage ditches and waterways fell into decline, and by the close of the 5th century the city was virtually deserted.

Medieval Lincoln

After the first destructive Viking raids the city once again rose to some importance. In Viking times Lincoln was a trading centre important enough to issue coins from its own mint. After the establishment of Dane Law in 886, Lincoln became one of The Five Boroughs in the East Midlands. Over the next few centuries, Lincoln once again rose to prominence. In 1068, two years after the Norman Conquest, William I ordered a castle to be built on the site of the former Roman settlement.

The Norman West Front of Lincoln Cathedral

Main article: Lincoln Cathedral.

The first Lincoln Cathedral, within its close or walled precinct facing the castle was commenced when the see was removed from Dorchester and completed in 1092; it was rebuilt after a fire but was destroyed by an unusual earthquake in 1185. The rebuilt Lincoln Minster, enlarged to the east at each rebuilding, was on magnificent scale, its crossing tower crowned by a spire 160 m (525 feet) high, the highest in Europe.

Main article:Bishop of Lincoln.

The bishops of Lincoln were among the magnates of medieval England: Lincolnshire, the largest diocese, had more monasteries than the rest of England put together, and the diocese was supported by large estates outside the county. When the Magna Carta was drawn up in 1215, one of the witnesses was Hugh of Wells, Bishop of Lincoln. A copy is now preserved in Lincoln Castle. Among the most famous bishops of Lincoln were Robert Bloet, the magnificent justiciar to Henry I; Hugh of Avalon, the cathedral builder canonized as Saint Hugh of Lincoln; Robert Grosseteste, the 13th century intellectual; Henry Cardinal Beaufort, a politician deeply involved in the Wars of the Roses; Philip Repyngdon, chaplain to Henry IV of England and defender of Wycliffe; Thomas Cardinal Wolsey.

The administrative centre was the Bishop's Palace, the third element in the central complex. When it was built in the late 12th century, the Bishops' Palace was one of the most important buildings in England. Built by the canonized bishop Hugh of Lincoln, the palace's East Hall range 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 of bishops here; the palace was sacked by royalist troops during the Civil War in 1648.

By 1150, Lincoln was amongst the wealthiest towns in Britain. The basis of the economy was cloth and wool, exported to Flanders; Lincoln weavers had set up a guild in 1130 to produce Lincoln Cloth, especially the fine dyed "scarlet" and "green" the reputation of which was later enhanced by Robin Hood wearing "Lincoln Green". In the Guildhall that surmounts a city gate, the ancient Council Chamber contains Lincoln's civic insignia, probably the finest collection of civic regalia outside London.

Outside the precincts of cathedral and castle, the old quarter clustered outside the Bailgate, and down Steep Hill to the High Bridge, which bears half-timbered housing, the upper storey jettied out over the river, as London Bridge once had. There are three ancient churches: St. Mary le Wigford and St. Peter at Gowts are both 11th century in origin and St Mary Magdalene, built in the late 13th century, is an unusual English dedication to the saint whose cult was coming greatly into vogue on the Continent at that time.

Lincoln was home to one of the five most important Jewish communities in England, well established before it was officially noted in 1154. In 1190, anti-semitic riots that started in Lynn, Norfolk, spread to Lincoln; the Jewish community took refuge with royal officials, but their habitations were plundered. The so-called "House of Aaron" has a two-storey street frontage that is essentially 12th century and a nearby "Jew's House" likewise bears witness to the Jewish population. In 1255, the affair called “The Libel of Lincoln” in which prominent Jews of Lincoln, accused of the ritual murder of a Christian boy ("Little Saint Hugh of Lincoln" in medieval folklore) were sent to the Tower of London and 18 were executed. The Jews were expelled en masse in 1290.

During the 14th century, the city's fortunes began to decline. The lower city was prone to flooding, becoming increasingly isolated, and plagues were common. In 1409, the city was made a county corporate. The dissolution of the monasteries further exacerbated Lincoln's problems, and between 1642 and 1651, during the English Civil War, Lincoln was on the frontier between the Royalist and Parliamentary forces. Military control of the city therefore changed hands numerous times. Many buildings were badly damaged. Lincoln now had no major industry, no easy access to the sea and was poorly placed. As a consequence of this, while the rest of the country was beginning to prosper in the beginning of the 1700s, Lincoln suffered immensely, travellers often commenting on the state of what had essentially become a "one street" town.

The Reformation cut off the main source of diocasan income and dried up the network of patronage controlled by the bishop. When the great spire rotted and collapsed in 1549 and was not replaced, it was a sign of Lincoln's decline; however, the comparative poverty of post-medieval Lincoln preserved structures that would have been lost in more prosperous contexts.

The Georgian Age

By the Georgian era, Lincoln's fortunes began to pick up, thanks in part to the Agricultural Revolution. The re-opening of the Foss Dyke allowed things like coal to be brought to the city.

The Industrial Revolution

Coupled with the arrival of the railway links, Lincoln boomed again during the industrial Revolution, and several world-famous companies arose, such as Ruston's, Smith-Clayton's, Proctor's, and William Foster's. Lincoln began to excel in heavy engineering, building diesel engine trains, steam shovels, and all manner of heavy machinery.

The 20th Century

Lincoln was hit by a major typhoid epidemic between November 1904 and August 1905, caused by polluted drinking water from Hartsholme Lake and the River Witham. Over 1000 people contracted the disease and fatalities totalled 113. Westgate Water Tower was constructed to provide new water supplies to the city.

In the world wars Lincoln naturally switched to war production. The first ever tanks were invented by, designed and built in Lincoln by William Foster & Co. Ltd during the First World War and population growth provided more workers for even greater expansion. During the Second World War, Lincoln produced a vast array of war goods, from tanks, aircraft, munitions, and military vehicles. Ruston and Hornsby produced diesel engines for ships and locomotives, 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 the first ever production line to build gas turbine engines for land-based & sea-based energy production. Hugely successful, it has become the largest single employer in the city providing over 5,000 jobs in it's factory and research facilities making it a rich takeover target for industrial conglomerates. They were taken over by GEC in the late 1960s (diesel engine production was transferred to a division of GEC in Newton-le-Willows), merged with Alstom of France in the late 1980s, then in 2003 were bought out by Siemens AG of Germany, now being called Siemens Industrial Turbomachinery. In the post-war years after 1945, new suburbs were built, but heavy industry has declined towards the end of the 20th Century mimicking the wider economic profile of the United Kingdom. More people are still employed today in Lincoln however building gas turbines than anything else.

Economy

Lincoln's economy is based mainly on public administration, commerce arable farming and tourism.

The railway level crossing on the High Street.

Lincoln lost its direct train service to and from London in the late 1980s, when the King's Cross to Doncaster route was electrified, a move that deterred inward investment by new employers. These days only the freight line runs through Lincoln creating a situation where the two halves of centre of the city is cut off for up to half of each hour because of the frequency of the rail traffic.

Tourism

The city is a tourist centre, but is never overwhelmed by tourists; those who come do so to visit the numerous historic buildings, including of course, the Cathedral and the Castle. The Collection, of which the Usher Gallery is now a part, is an important attraction; as is the Museum of Lincolnshire Life. Tranquil destinations close by include Whisby Nature Reserve and Hartsholme Park, whilst noisier entertainment can be found at Waddington airfield, Scampton airfield, base of the RAF's "Red Arrows" jet aerobatic team, the County Showground or the Cadwell Park motor racing circuit near Louth.

Education

In the 1990s, Lincoln Art College and Riseholme Agricultural College became part of De Montfort University in Leicester. Thanks to the dogged support and also vision of local commerce, the University of Humberside opened a Lincoln campus next to Brayford Pool in 1996, changing the name to University of Lincolnshire and Humberside. This has attracted additional students to the city, giving it a refreshing youthful appearance, and possibly a more outward-looking viewpoint. The Lincoln campus took priority over the Hull campus (which is now a much-reduced branch of the main university), and as such the name changed in 2002 to the University of Lincoln, taking over the Art College and Riseholme College.

Media

The local newspaper is the Lincolnshire Echo, and the local radio stations are Radio Lincolnshire on 94.9FM and its commercial rival Lincs FM on 102.2 FM.

Sport

Lincoln has its own Football (soccer) team, Lincoln City F.C., nick named "the Lincoln Imps" who play at the Sincil Bank stadium on the southern edge of the city. The collapse of ITV Digital who owed LCFC more than £100,000 in 2002 saw the team faced with bankruptcy but the team was saved after a massive fundraising venture by the fans that returned ownership of the club to them.

See also

• Lincoln Cathedral
• Saint Hugh of Lincoln
• Lincoln Imp
• Lincoln Castle
• George Boole
• Little Saint Hugh of Lincoln
• Lincoln City F.C.

External References

• History of Ruston & Hornsby.
• Radio Lincolnshire 94.9FM
• Lincs FM 102.2
• University of Lincoln.
• Britannia.com
• Florilegium urbanum: provision for electing city officers, ca 1300, and Francis Hill's discussion
• Jewish communities in Eastern England: Lincoln

Further reading

• Francis Hill, 1948. Medieval Lincoln (Cambridge: University Press)