//This month City Focus has been sampling the sights, sounds and wonders of the quaint historical town of
Lincoln.
We’ve been strolling up Steep Hill- Voted Britain’s Best Street 2011- Eating and Drinking at a wide range of restaurants, cafés and pubs, as well as soaking up hundreds of years worth of History, Art and Culture.
And, we’ve even selected our favourite hotels so you can be guaranteed a great night’s sleep after your dayof discovering.
Enjoy your trip!
~City Focus
//Lincoln boasts an eclectic plethora of artistic talent and culture. You just have to take a stroll through the cobbled streets to realise just how in-grained an artistic nature is in the city. The metallic head that projects itself out of the back of the Drill Hall and imposes itself on passers by, and even the overpowering spires of the cathedral, that jut out into the sky observing the city below,
display the architectural heritage and prowess of this great city.
The Collection
The Collection is, as the name would suggest, a collection of great artifacts from suits of armour to fossil and great works of art. It also has a great playroom and kids art centre that will have your kids screaming “art is cool!” as they learn and have fun.Built to replace the city and county museum , the collections sits in the heart of the city and was built with its historic surroundings in mind. As such, the building is faced in limestone and the roof is made to look like lead to imitate that of Lincoln’s great cathedral. When building work began for the
construction of the Collection in 2003 the museums curators were delighted to uncover the largest roman mosaic to be unearthed in the city for over 100 years. It turned out to be a section of 200 year old roman pavement and now forms the centre-piece of the roman exhibition in the new museum.
The Collection has won a host of award including:
The AIA Design in excellence Award,
and the Green Organisation’s Silver Green Apple Environment Award.
The Usher Gallery
The art collection in the Usher Gallery is the finest in the county. The Gallery was born of the collections of James Ward Usher (from where the gallery derives its name) a successful jeweler in the 1800’s who was also named the Sherif of Lincoln. After his death in 1916 he left all of his collection to the City of Lincoln, and, five years later, the classically inspired building was opened to the public in 1927 by His Royal Highness the Prince of Wales, using a solid gold key.
The gallery is set in the beautiful grounds of the Temple Gardens and houses fine and decorative arts. As well as its permanent collection the gallery’s works is also supplemented by
generous loans and exchanges with other museums and private collections.
The
Drill Hall
The Drill Hall is another of Lincoln’s artistic bases. It plays host to many exhibitions and presents an all year long programme of jazz, theatre, literature comedy, blues, classical music, and childrens entertainment.
The Drill Hall has been around since 1890 but has only been a venue to showcase art since 2004 following a £2.6m refurbishment. It has a maximum capacity of around 500 people and has played host to big name bands such as the Buzzcocks and The Subways and comedy act Jack Dee. The venue has a fully equipped and flexible auditorium, a cafe bar and two smaller rooms all available for hire.
When you’re in Lincoln you should definitely check out the Drill Hall as there’s is bound to be something amazing on!
‘Mighty Blow for Freedom’
This Modernist Sculpture called the ‘Mighty Blow for Freedom’ stands outside the Lincoln Usher Gallery. It is by the artist Michael Sandle and is a must see for any visitor to the city.
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//After a day of seeing all ofLincoln’s sites and scenery you’ll want to relax and unwind in style. Here are just some of the unique places you can stay to make your trip that bit more special.
Branston Hall Hotel
This country house sits amongst beautifulLincolnshireparkland with a whole 88 acres of land and its own lake. Dating back to 1885, this historic building has been converted into a lavish hotel with over 50 en-suite rooms.
There’s plenty of things to do if you fancy staying in the hotel, with an indoor swimming pool, leisure suite and an old fashioned lounge finished off with a cosy fire place. Renowned for its restaurant Branston Hall holds two AA rosettes for its culinary excellence
Situated just 3 miles outside Lincoln, this house rich in culture and history is great for visiting the city or exploring the
Lincolnshirecountryside as long as you own a car.
Price range (per room) £85-£230
Tel: 01522 793305
Website: www.branstonhall.com
Castle Hotel
With its award winning restaurant, Reform, the Castle Hotel is perfect for those wanting to indulge their taste buds in some ofLincoln’s finest
cuisine.
After winning the award for best food inLincolnshire, your stay at this hotel will be just as enjoyable as the food; it offers modern rooms and stunning views ofLincoln, the Castle and the Cathedral.
While it has a contemporary look, it has plenty of history starting life as a school, the building has also served as an army cadet centre, parish rooms, a Sunday school, riding school, occupation centre and repair workshop, before becoming a hotel in 1979.
Price range (per room): £90-£390
Tel: 01522 538801
Website: www.castlehotel.net
Charlotte House Hotel
You can’t get much closer to Lincoln Castle than you can with Charlotte House!
Located directly opposite one ofLincoln’s most famous landmarks, and surrounded by 8 acres of attractive gardens it boasts Sir Joseph Banks tropical conservatory full of exotic plants and water features, as well as “The Orangery” a huge
scenic glass box which is available to hire out.
Charlotte House has 14 rooms ranging from contemporary to classic and several dining areas as well as a bar you can visit if you’re just passing by.
Prices range (per room): £99-£295
Tel: 01522 541000 – Website: www.charlottehouselincoln.com
Bailhouse Hotel
This luxury boutique hotel in the heart of uphillLincolnis famous for its warm hospitality warranting a 5 star review from the AA.
Bailhouse Hotel dates back to the 14th century where it opened as a medieval hall. Since then its become established as a small and comfortable hotel. While its still retained its rustic charm with four poster beds and oak beam ceilings it’s been brought into the 21st century with the welcome addition of an outdoor swimming pool, along with many other features.
It has a large selection of self catering accommodation to choose from with plenty of restaurants near by if you fancy getting a bite to eat.
Price range (per room): £79-170
Tel: 01522 541000
Website: www.bailhouse.co.uk
White Hart Hotel
The White Hart Hotel stands proudly next to Lincoln Cathedral and amongst the hustle and bustle of life at the top of Steep Hill.
This traditional building has a modern twist which jumps out to you as soon as you go through the front door and into the bar and reception area.
Also near the historic Bailgate, visitors will have plenty of culture to
experience in the many unique shops and restaurants on the street.
Price range (Per room): £75- £175
Tel: 01522 563 293
Website: www.whitehart-lincoln.co.uk
The Tower
The Tower is a cheerful hotel ideally located in between the city and the historic side ofLincoln.
It hosts an inviting lounge area and 15 individually styled en suite bedrooms, although this hotel is probably best known for its award winning Tower Restaurant.
It often features live entertainment or special weeks so for live music lovers this is the place for you.
Price range (per room): £65-£175
Tel: 01522 529999
Website: www.lincolntowerhotel.co.uk
And the best of the rest…
Lincoln has many other great places to stay scattered all over the city. Whether you just want to stay near the Brayford pool at the Hilton Hotel or the Holiday Inn or want a quick stay at one of the many bed and breakfasts. The Minster Lodge and Creston Villa Guest House have both received 5 star AA ratings for their excellent B&B services. Or for award winning self catering accommodation try Lincoln Town Houses or Lincoln
//Lincoln Cathedral
The cathedral in Lincoln is one of the finest examples of gothic architecture in the country.
It has the most spectacular positioning of all of Englands cathedrals allowing it to be seen from twenty miles away! This is not surprising as it was said to have been at one point the tallest building in the world.
However, the spires that once gave this cathedral a stagering overall height of 525 feet collapsed in 1549 and were never re-built.
The cathedral was commissioned by William the Conqueror in 1072 and was built mainly in three periods. The norman, early english period and then later the 14th and 15th centuries. Various restorations have been carried out ever since.
The cathedral is full to the brim with medieval architectural beauty. From the magnificent stained glass windows to it’s mischievous and iconic stone imp, said to have been turned to stone by an angel after wreaking havoc on the cathedral and the city.
Lincoln Cathedral is quite rightly Lincoln’s most visited attraction with people flocking to see it’s beauty and recently to see the setting of the blockbuster movie The Davinci Code’.
The cathedral is a must for any tourist.
//Lincoln, with its old cobbled streets and archaic buildings bathed in history may seem like the perfect setting for a blockbuster horror movie. However tales of fiction are one thing, but creepy stories of actual accounts are a whole lot scarier, and of these Lincoln has more than it’s fair share.
Here are some of it’s most haunted…
1. Pie’s good enough to die for
A 15th century building on Steep Hill, which is now called Brown’s Pie shop is said to be haunted by a poltergeist. A figure of a young boy is often seen by visitors and staff around the shop. The shop which was once a pub was also once frequented by T.E Laurence (Laurence of Arabia to you and me) and it’s also said you can still hear him counting money upstairs.
2.Lincoln’s own woman in black!
A few years ago a woman visiting Cobb Hall (the tower where public executions were held) with her husband and child, only just managed to save the toddler from being pushed down the stairs by a malevolent looking woman in a long black dress, who then promptly disappeared. For some time after this, when passing the tower on her way to work she would hear a voice telling her to come back on her own.
Needless to say she didn’t.
3.Open the gates!!
A horseman has been seen charging towards the gates of Lincoln castle shouting “open the gates! open the gates!” before disappearing as he reaches the closed castle gates. This
apparition is said to be the spirit of a horseman who was bringing a pardon for his friend but arrived too late and his friend had been executed.
4. Things that go bump in the night!
The Jew’s House restaurant on Steep Hill in Lincoln dates back to Norman times and is one of the oldest buildings in the city. This part of town was once the focal point for Lincoln’s Jewish community, until one night in 1255 an eight-year-old boy was found drowned. A Jewish man named Copin was arrested and under torture admitted the crime, which led to a wave of anti-Semitism resulting in the
torture and death of Copin and 18 other Jews. Since then, the Jew’s House is said to suffer from inexplicable thumps and rattles.