Renowned for its architecture and predominantly known as an agricultural county, Lincolnshire is steeped in history.
With the first Norman castle built in Lincolnshire as well as the birthplace of King Henry the I, Lincolnshire has played its part continues to support the people of Lincoln as well as the UK, and we’re proud to boast about the heritage of the towns and encourage more visitors to Lincoln!
Lincolnshire heritage is rich and vibrant, and, in this post, we take a walk-through time to find out more.
Taking it back to Roman time.
Lincolnshire, during this time, was awash with Roman forts, making it one of the most powerful Roman towns, during this time.
Today, you can still find many of the remains of these towns, Roman settlements, and forts throughout the city.
Thought to be extremely influential at the time, and certainly helping to put Lincoln on the map, was the development of two major roads built during this time by the Romans – Ermine, which links London to York, and Fosse Way, connecting still Lincoln to Exeter.
Other links include the Fosse Dyke canal which links Lincoln and the Trent River, which leads to the Ouse and Humber River, before eventually reaching the North Sea.
These links opened up opportunities for extending trade, for businesses to grow, and for relationships to develop.
As a small aside:
Lincolnshire has two very distinct areas of upland, which cross it from North to South.
Lincoln city stands on the Western side, with Lincoln edge found on the lowlands, also known as the Wolds.
An area of vast rolling chalk hills (and also home to Wolds Side Lodge Holidays).
Moving on to the Normans.
In 1067 William the Conqueror saw the benefit and opportunity in the Roman fort in Lincolnshire and the links that had been established via road and sea, so ordered for there to be a Norman Castle to be built on the same site.
In 1068, work was finally complete on Lincoln's first Norman Castle. In actual fact, one of the very first Norman castles to be erected in England.
To emphasise Norman power, Archbishop Remigius was also ordered to build a new Cathedral in the city to transfer ecclesiastical power. In 1092 Lincoln Cathedral opened, however, and unfortunately, this was just days after the death of the Archbishop.
The English Civil War.
Lincolnshire was pivotal in the English Civil War; however, in 1643, it suffered some bloody battles that later led to the defeat of the Royalists and marked the beginning of the end for King Charles I, who lest we forget was born in Lincolnshire Castle!
Georgian Lincolnshire.
With many Georgian towns situated in and around Lincoln, you can see the elegance and grace of the architecture that was placed into these buildings during this time, with their history and vision still playing a vital role in today’s design world.
The Victorian Era.
Several engineering companies sprung up in Lincolnshire during the Victorian period, supplying the agricultural industry with much needed new machinery.
Machinery such as steam locomotives, combustion engines, steam engines, threshing machines, and more.
But it was the invention of the tank in 1915 by Richard Hornsby & Sons of Grantham and William Foster & Co. of Lincoln that really helped to put innovative Lincolnshire on the map!
World War 2.
The easterly location of Lincolnshire alongside its flat terrain made it the perfect place to build RAF bases during the war, with the 617 squadron based here famously known as the “Dambusters” with Lincolnshire itself known as “Bomber County.”
Agriculture.
Lincolnshire was, and still is to some degree, most renowned for agriculture and is a sector that has seen the town thrive throughout the years.
Grains, sugar beets, and vegetable crops soon became the main farm products of the county. However, as the years moved, so did trade and Lincolnshire industry! Growing to include sectors such as food processing, oil refining, chemical manufacturing, and even steel production.
Today, rural countryside and small market towns help to share and shape the vision of what rural England may have looked like in the past.
The Lincolnshire Castle and Cathedral also stand as a true testament to history, and if you’re keen to find out more the various museums around Lincolnshire will most certainly help!
Wolds Side Lodge Holidays provide you with the perfect in-between.
An opportunity to explore Lincolnshire at your own pace in your own time, while sitting back and relaxing in luxury cabins in the heart of Wolds.
Read the next article: Lincoln's Twin Towns