A City of Many Characters. (Lincoln in General)

Member Name: daseaford

Product:	Lincoln in General
Date:	02/12/01 (73 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Very interesting City.

Disadvantages: None.

A visit to Lincoln can mean so many different things to different people. The old and the new blend together really well in this very pleasant city to make it a very interesting place to visit.

As you approach Lincoln you realise why this town has existed since Celtic times and been important ever since. The Romans realised that the 200ft hill above the town provided an excellent natural fortress, whilst the River Witham provided water and a natural defence to slow down any attacking force. The surrounding countryside is rich agricultural land and can sustain any population in the town.

Today the river is still an attraction in the town, but instead of keeping people out, it now attracts visitors either by boat to the large Brayford Pool marina, or for boat trips along the river. The hill is the site of Lincoln Castle and Lincoln Cathedral, which can be seen for miles around the county. The cathedral is the third largest in England (only York Minster and St.Paul’s are larger) and was built on the instructions of William the Conqueror, who also had the castle built.

The castle/cathedral area of the city is now a very popular tourist attraction and there are plenty of pay and display car parks in this area allowing easy access to the hill top area. Around this part of the town there are numerous really interesting small shops and plenty of places to eat and drink. For the braver visitors there are also ‘Ghost Walks’ held in the evenings which start from the tourist information office near the cathedral.

At the bottom of the hill is the main city centre, which has a large shopping area. There is a good mix of small independent shops, plus a lot of the large chain stores. There is a small indoor shopping centre (The Waterside Centre) and a traditional indoor market. There is not really a main street in the city centre and it took us a few visits to find our way around all of the shopping area, and we do still seem to
find new parts and shops every time we go there.

Just outside of the city centre is the large St. Marks Retail Park, which has a good selection of large stores with plenty of free car parking in front of the shops. There are also a selection of restaurants and fast food outlets around this area.

When we visit Lincoln we are always impressed by the number of places that there are to eat and drink. We usually try to use a different place on each of our visits and we have never been disappointed by the food or service that we have received. Perhaps it is the competition from the large number of outlets that keeps the quality high, or just the high standards that the people of Lincoln have.

We always enjoy our visits to Lincoln, whether to do ‘sensible’ shopping, or just to wander around all of the little trendy and interesting shops, or to visit the cathedral area. This certainly a city that I can recommend people visit for a great day out.

Summary: