# What's Lincoln like?



## Bungle73 (Sep 27, 2011)

I've just been to York for a few days and no I'm looking for somewhere else to go. What's Lincoln like? I like old buildings, places with lots of history, museums and stuff like that.


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## killer b (Sep 27, 2011)

it's lovely, but very steep.


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## Bungle73 (Sep 27, 2011)

I'm fit and healthy so steep doesn't bother me. 

Worth a few days away you think?


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## JHE (Sep 27, 2011)

The cathedral is well worth a visit. The 'castle' is not as interesting as the cathedral, though the part of it which was a prison is a fairly interesting museum.

The walk from the station up to the cathedral and castle is up the accurately named Steep Hill. It's OK. I'm not fit and I've had no difficulty with it. You can always stop for a break. There are plenty of pubs, cafes and restaurants along the way. There is also at least one tempting second-hand bookshop on Steep Hill. It's at Jews' Court.

The most tempting pubs I've come across in Lincoln are beside the canal.


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## Bungle73 (Sep 27, 2011)

So is there enough there to justify a few days, or is it more of a day trip thing (bearing in mind I have to come from Kent)?


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## JHE (Sep 27, 2011)

I think it'd be a nice place to spend a few unhurried days in, but if you just wanted to visit the tourist highlights (which is all I've done - and have done it a couple of times), it could be done in a day.  A round trip from Kent to Lincoln and home sounds a bit much for one day, though, so I'd suggest a couple of days.


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## dessiato (Sep 27, 2011)

Apart from the Minster, and the castle there are a lot of other old buildings. Around the station there are some, along the road to Steep Hill too. There are a lot of places dotted around the city, most people forget these but they are worth looking out for. The area around the university campus used to be quite nice, although I haven't been there for a couple of years so it might have changed.

As you start the walk up Steep Hill there are some interesting buildings, but you need to keep your eyes open to spot them. Then as you start to go up the Hill you can turn to your right and cut across to the gallery which has some interesting art in. Nothing is outstanding, but it is, non-the-less worth a visit. Passing the minster there is a hotel which is quite nice and is old. Further along is the whiskey shop. Along from that is a road running to the right which has some Roman dig. Along that road you go past the outside of the castle. Continuing along is a former mental health hospital which is worth a visit. It has an interesting, but small, glass house. If you then go further along the same road there is the Lincolnshire life museum.

That is pretty much all I can remember about Lincoln. It is a nice place to visit for a long weekend. There are other places of interest outside the city too.

Anyway, take a look at these photos on a thread I started earlier:
http://www.urban75.net/forums/threads/amazing-photos-of-lincoln-from-the-minster.280509/


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## ericjarvis (Sep 27, 2011)

Bungle73 said:


> What's Lincoln like?



If New York is the city that never sleeps, Lincoln is the city that never wakes up.



Bungle73 said:


> I like old buildings, places with lots of history, museums and stuff like that.



Should be ideal. So long as you can cope with the transition to Lincoln time. Which is exactly the same as GMT but 50 years ago.


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## stuff_it (Sep 27, 2011)

They used to have a 'cashpoint' type of affair in the high street for topping up your electric cards, as the shops were always bloody shut.


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## goldenecitrone (Sep 27, 2011)

I remember passing through on a boating holiday over ten years ago. A young guy who worked in Lincoln's then only porn shop sold us some dope and wanted to come away with us on our boat to see the world. We were only heading up to Boston, though, as it was nearly the end of our trip. So we left him with his porn and his dope in Lincoln. I wonder if he ever managed to get away.


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## Mapped (Sep 27, 2011)

My mate absolutely loves the cathedral. He's not from Lincoln, but goes and stays there all the time just for the cathedral. He's getting a tattoo of the Lincoln Imp done on his arm.

I want to go one day, but not with him.


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## Puddy_Tat (Sep 27, 2011)

Lived in Lincoln for 10 years (until about 10 years ago) and still get there 3 or 4 times a year.  I'd second most of what Dessiato says.

The 'tourist trail' has Steep Hill (does what it says) with a variety of indepedent sort of shops and so on, there's the Cathedral and Castle, Lincolnshire Life Museum just a bit further out (not open Sundays these days) - 'The Collection' is just off the main tourist trail.  The former mental hospital is now 'The Lawn' complex - on Union Road opposite the Castle - although last  time I went, most of the shops etc had shut.

For pubs, I'd suggest the Victoria on Union Road, close to Castle / The Lawn.  The ones by the River Witham (presume that's what JHE means) in the city centre were a bit touristy.

Slightly further off the trail but worth a visit is the Dog & Bone (formerly the "gay dog") off Monks Road just to the east of the City centre - purveyors of Lincolnshire's Batemans beer.  It seems to have changed hands since I last went, so don't know if they still do Salem Porter straight from a barrel in the cellar...

There's also a transport museum on the southern edge of the city - do-able by bus, and with a special event on Sunday 2 November which will involve lots of buses to and from the city centre.

Much more here on Visit Lincolnshire

There's quite a bit more night-life (if that's your thing) than there was 10 years ago, what with the university growing.

You could probably do a very quick visit to the Castle and Cathedral and such in a day, but it will be a heck of a rush if you're coming all the way from Kent.

Newark is possibly also worth a few hours' mooch - market town with Castle (remains of - not quite been the same since the civil war) lots of antique shops and Gannets Cafe (35 Castle Gate) - purveyor of rather good cakes.


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## killer b (Sep 27, 2011)

when i went to lincoln for a weekend a few years ago, i found a great pub: proper old man boozer with a leering les dawsonesque pianist who'd play there each evening. they did a nice lock-in...


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## geminisnake (Sep 27, 2011)

I <3  the catherdral and the imp.  Steep Hill was full of interesting(imo) shops. I could definetly spend a couple of days in Lincoln just wandering around looking at stuff. Go and see


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## GarfieldLeChat (Sep 27, 2011)

had a big hat called a stove pipe, a beard called a Lincon (not sure of the chronology of that but bloody convenient to remember it's name) and was said to be a terrible liar...


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## Bungle73 (Sep 27, 2011)

Thanks, guys.  I'm this close >.......< to booking it.


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## spanglechick (Sep 27, 2011)

including travel from kent i'd say two days, three if you don't want to get up early / come home late.

there's a biggish antiques arcade type deal up on Bailgate (-? - one of the 'gates), and around there there are lots of little independant shops if that's your thing. Handmade chocolate shop towards the top of steep hill.  Not much down the hill except normal town centre stuff, and the waterfront - which has character-free pubs etc.

I got married at Lincoln register office, cos it's the nearest real place to the arse end of nowhere, which is where Grinder's family (my in-laws) live.


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## Hocus Eye. (Sep 27, 2011)

GarfieldLeChat said:


> had a big hat called a stove pipe, a beard called a Lincon (not sure of the chronology of that but bloody convenient to remember it's name) and was said to be a terrible liar...


First politician to have a 'photo opportunity' in his election campaign.


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## Bungle73 (Sep 27, 2011)

spanglechick said:


> including travel from kent i'd say two days, three if you don't want to get up early / come home late.
> 
> there's a biggish antiques arcade type deal up on Bailgate (-? - one of the 'gates), and around there there are lots of little independant shops if that's your thing. Handmade chocolate shop towards the top of steep hill.  Not much down the hill except normal town centre stuff, and the waterfront - which has character-free pubs etc.
> 
> I got married at Lincoln register office, cos it's the nearest real place to the arse end of nowhere, which is where Grinder's family (my in-laws) live.


I was thinking of three nights. One day to get there, two to explore, and one to get home.


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## Puddy_Tat (Sep 27, 2011)

spanglechick said:


> it's the nearest real place to the arse end of nowhere.



to be fair, Lincolnshire has quite a few places that qualify for that title.



Bungle73 said:


> Thanks, guys. I'm this close >.......< to booking it.



Mum-Tat recommends this guest house, just north of Bailgate by the way (since I no longer live there, our visits are more complicated than they used to be)


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## GarfieldLeChat (Sep 27, 2011)

Hocus Eye. said:


> First politician to have a 'photo opportunity' in his election campaign.


hated cherry trees tho..


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## Bungle73 (Sep 27, 2011)

I'm more of a hotel type person than a B&B/Guest House one. I was looking at The Castle Hotel.


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## Puddy_Tat (Sep 27, 2011)

Bungle73 said:


> I'm more of a hotel type person than a B&B/Guest House one.



Is this the kind of thing you admit on U75?!

you'll be talking about getting a cleaner next  

seriously - don't think i know any hotels well enough to suggest anything.  tends to be the way once you've lived somewhere...


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## Monkeygrinder's Organ (Sep 28, 2011)

geminisnake said:


> I <3 the catherdral and the imp. Steep Hill was full of interesting(imo) shops. I could definetly spend a couple of days in Lincoln just wandering around looking at stuff. Go and see



Your idea of interesting shops might not be shared by that many others tbf.


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## Bungle73 (Oct 5, 2011)

I'm there now. I've got a lovely view of the Cathedral from my hotel room.

I've done The Collection, the castle and a walk looking at the Roman ruins so far. I need to go back to both of the first two though, because I didn't get to see everything. I have a Lincoln Pass so I can get back into the castle for free.


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## Bungle73 (Oct 5, 2011)

I checked out the Victoria, but unfortunately they only do food at lunchtime which is no good to me. 

I've been going in the Adam & Eve, which is a really nice olde world pub, that's got a good rating on Beerinthevening, which is where I found it.


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## geminisnake (Oct 5, 2011)

Monkeygrinder's Organ said:


> Your idea of interesting shops might not be shared by that many others tbf.



I'm sure your better half and I could agree on interesting shops 

Hope you enjoy yourself Bungle.


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## Bungle73 (Oct 7, 2011)

You weren't kidding about Steep Hill being steep were you.


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## spanglechick (Oct 7, 2011)

Hah! no. which is funny because lincolnshire has to be one of the flattest places going. did you have fun?


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## Bungle73 (Oct 7, 2011)

spanglechick said:


> Hah! no. which is funny because lincolnshire has to be one of the flattest places going. did you have fun?


Yeah, it was great! 

I've just got to work out now where I can go next.


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## ericjarvis (Oct 8, 2011)

Lincolnshire isn't all flat. It's got two ridges running all the way down the county. Lincoln Edge, which is the one Lincoln is on, is actually pretty damn steep most of the way along it. Cambridgeshire is flat.


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