The fascinating Cathedral Quarter of the splendid city of Lincoln, England.
Commentary.
For an area supposed to be largely low-lying and flat the City of Lincoln bucks the trend.
The area around the River Witham is 20 metres O.D.
The area around the Castle and Cathedral is 75 metres O.D.
A Jurassic Limestone escarpment runs north-south through a large part of Lincolnshire.
Throughout written history this upland has been used
by many settlers as a defensive bastion.
Iron Age, Roman, Anglo-Saxon, Norman and medieval peoples
have used this “hill” for strategic, defensive purposes.
The Normans built a substantial castle following their invasion in the 11th. Century.
They also built the first Cathedral on this high point in 1092.
It had to be re-built twice, once due to fire and once due to a local earthquake!
At one time it had a spire that reached 525 feet.
For 200 years it was the tallest human-made structure in the world, even taller than the Great Pyramid!
In medieval times the city prospered through the wool industry, becoming famous for its Lincoln Green and Red cloths.
The city declined during the English Civil War when both Royalists and Parliamentarians held sway at different times, its fortunes returned in the 18th Century due to the ingenious inventions of the Agricultural and Industrial Revolutions.
Simply, mechanisation and more efficient sources of power
meant most products could be made and distributed at 20, 50, 100, 250 or 1,000 times the rate of families in their home.
In recent centuries, public administration, education, health services and hospitality has grown, hugely.
I.T. and micro-electronics have employed many, too.
With its rich historical legacy and amazing architecture, tourism brings in more and more revenue.
The Cathedral Quarter has for centuries seen the wealthier residents enjoy the views from “the hill” in their Georgian mansions.
Steep Hill and The Strait link “the hill” to the High Street and modern shopping centre.
Two worlds, but one impressive city, now with a population of 125,000, and unsurprisingly, the largest settlement in the County.
The fascinating Cathedral Quarter of the splendid city of Lincoln, England.
Commentary.
For an area supposed to be largely low-lying and flat the City of Lincoln bucks the trend.
The area around the River Witham is 20 metres O.D.
The area around the Castle and Cathedral is 75 metres O.D.
A Jurassic Limestone escarpment runs north-south through a large part of Lincolnshire.
Throughout written history this upland has been used
by many settlers as a defensive bastion.
Iron Age, Roman, Anglo-Saxon, Norman and medieval peoples
have used this “hill” for strategic, defensive purposes.
The Normans built a substantial castle following their invasion in the 11th. Century.
They also built the first Cathedral on this high point in 1092.
It had to be re-built twice, once due to fire and once due to a local earthquake!
At one time it had a spire that reached 525 feet.
For 200 years it was the tallest human-made structure in the world, even taller than the Great Pyramid!
In medieval times the city prospered through the wool industry, becoming famous for its Lincoln Green and Red cloths.
The city declined during the English Civil War when both Royalists and Parliamentarians held sway at different times, its fortunes returned in the 18th Century due to the ingenious inventions of the Agricultural and Industrial Revolutions.
Simply, mechanisation and more efficient sources of power
meant most products could be made and distributed at 20, 50, 100, 250 or 1,000 times the rate of families in their home.
In recent centuries, public administration, education, health services and hospitality has grown, hugely.
I.T. and micro-electronics have employed many, too.
With its rich historical legacy and amazing architecture, tourism brings in more and more revenue.
The Cathedral Quarter has for centuries seen the wealthier residents enjoy the views from “the hill” in their Georgian mansions.
Steep Hill and The Strait link “the hill” to the High Street and modern shopping centre.
Two worlds, but one impressive city, now with a population of 125,000, and unsurprisingly, the largest settlement in the County.