A view of the East Gate of Lincoln Castle.

This article is about a Norman castle in Lincoln, England. Lincoln Castle is also the name of a paddle steamer which served as a ferry on the River Humber. Image File history File linksMetadata Size of this preview: 450 × 600 pixel Image in higher resolution (2304 × 3072 pixel, file size: 1. ... Image File history File linksMetadata Size of this preview: 450 × 600 pixel Image in higher resolution (2304 × 3072 pixel, file size: 1. ... The Lincoln Castle in Alexandra Dock, Grimsby. ... A paddle steamer, paddleboat, or paddlewheeler is a ship or boat propelled by one or more paddle wheels driven by a steam engine. ... The ferryboat Dongan Hills, filled with commuters, about to dock at a New York City pier, ca. ... Humber is also the name of one of the ranges of cars manufactured by the Rootes Group Humber is also the name of a river in Newfoundland, Canada, as well as a river and a college, both in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. ...

Lincoln Castle is a major castle constructed in Lincoln, England during the late 11th century by William the Conqueror on the site of a pre-existing Roman fortress. Lincoln (pronounced Lin-kun) is a cathedral city and county town of Lincolnshire, England, a bridging point over the River Witham that flows to Boston. ... As a means of recording the passage of time, the 11th century was that century which lasted from 1001 to 1100. ... William I ( 1027 – September 9, 1087), was King of England from 1066 to 1087. ... Principal sites in Roman Britain Roman Britain refers to those parts of the island of Great Britain controlled by the Roman Empire between 43 and 410. ...

Saxon and Viking

The Roman walls formed the basis of a Saxon or Danish Burgh (ie a community of several households, enclosed either by a new defensive wall or stockade, or - as here - by surviving solid Roman walls). Following the Treaty of Wedmore, Lincoln became one of the Five Boroughs (burghs) of Danish Mercia in the Danelaw of eastern England. The Treaty of Wedmore, signed at Wedmore in Somerset, was the result of the Battle of Edington (OE. Ethandun) in 878 AD, in which Alfred the Great defeated the viking forces of the Dane, Guthrum. ... The Five Burghs or more usually The Five Boroughs or The Five Boroughs of the Danelaw were the five main towns of Danish Mercia. ... The Kingdom of Mercia at its greatest extent (7th to 9th centuries) is shown in green, with the original core area (6th century) given a darker tint. ... Green: Danelaw The Danelaw (from the Old English Dena lagu, Danish: Danelagen ) is an 11th century name for an area of northern and eastern England under the administrative control of the Vikings (or Danes, or Norsemen) from the late 9th century. ...

William the Conqueror's Castle

A partial view of Lincoln Castle's east gate.

A closer view of the observatory tower.

When William the Conqueror defeated Harold and the English at Hastings on the 14th October 1066 he continued to face resistance to his rule in the north of England. For a number of years William's position was very insecure and in order to project his influence northwards to control the 'Danelaw' (an area traditionally under the control of Scandinavian settlers) he felt it necessary to construct a number of major castles in the north and midlands of England. It was at this time that the new King built major castles at Warwick, Nottingham and York. After gaining control of York, the Conqueror turned southwards and arrived at the Roman and Viking city of Lincoln. Image File history File linksMetadata Download high resolution version (3264x2448, 3282 KB) Summary A partial view of an entrance to Lincoln Castle. ... Image File history File linksMetadata Download high resolution version (3264x2448, 3282 KB) Summary A partial view of an entrance to Lincoln Castle. ... Image File history File linksMetadata Size of this preview: 399 × 599 pixel Image in higher resolution (1354 × 2032 pixel, file size: 409 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) picture taken by Andrew St. ... Image File history File linksMetadata Size of this preview: 399 × 599 pixel Image in higher resolution (1354 × 2032 pixel, file size: 409 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) picture taken by Andrew St. ... (Redirected from 14th October) October 14 is the 287th day of the year (288th in Leap years). ... Events January 6 - Harold II is crowned September 20 - Battle of Fulford September 25 - Battle of Stamford Bridge September 29 - William of Normandy lands in England at Pevensey. ... Scandinavia is a historical and geographical region centered on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. ... Map sources for Warwick at grid reference SP2865 Warwick (pronounced ) is the historic county town of Warwickshire in England and has a population of 25,434 (2001 census). ... Nottingham is a city (and county town of Nottinghamshire) in the East Midlands of England. ...

When William reached Lincoln (one of the country's major settlements) he found a Viking commercial and trading center with a population of 6,000 to 8,000. The remains of the old Roman walled fortress located 60 meters (200 ft) above the countryside to the south and west, proved an ideal strategic position to construct a new castle. Also, Lincoln represented a vital strategic crossroads of the following routes (largely the same routes which influenced the siting of the Roman fort):

• The Ermine Street - a major Roman road and the Kingdom's principal north-south route connecting London and York.
• The Fosse Way - another important Roman route connecting Lincoln with the city of Leicester and the south-west of England
• The Valley of the River Trent (to the west and southwest) - a major river affording access to the River Ouse, and thus the major city of York.
• The River Witham - a waterway that afforded access to both the Rivers Trent (via the Fossdyke Roman canal at Torksey) and the North Sea via The Wash.
• The Lincolnshire Wolds - an upland area to the northeast of Lincoln, which overlooks the Lincolnshire Marsh beyond.

A castle here could guard several of the main strategic routes and form part of a network of strongholds of the Norman kingdom, in Danish Mercia, roughly the area of the country that is today referred to as the East Midlands, to control the country internally. Also (in the case of the Wolds) it could form a center from which troops could be sent to repel Scandinavian landings anywhere on the coast from the Trent to the Welland, to a large extent, by using the roads which the Romans had constructed for the same purpose. Roman Britain, with Ermine Street highlighted Ermine Street should not be confused with Ermin Street, the road from Silchester to Gloucester. ... The Fosse Way was a Roman road in England which linked Exeter (Isca Dumnoniorum) in South West England, to Lincoln (Lindum) in the East Midlands, via Bath (Aquae Sulis), Cirencester (Corinium) and Leicester (Ratae Coritanorum). ... For other uses see Trent River. ... The River Ouse in York The River Ouse (pronounced ooze) in North Yorkshire, England flows through York and Selby. ... The River Witham is a river in the east of England. ... The Foss Dyke, or Fosse Dyke is the oldest canal in England, constructed by the Romans around 120 AD and still in use. ... Torksey is a small town in Lincolnshire on the eastern bank of the River Trent. ... The Wash, as seen looking west from Heacham, Norfolk The Wash is also the name of a 2001 film. ... The Lincolnshire Wolds is an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (designated as such in 1973) covering 560 square kilometres of north and east Lincolnshire, England. ... The Lincolnshire Marsh is a belt of reclaimed saltmarsh and sand dune in Lincolnshire, England and between the Lincolnshire Wolds and the North Sea. ... The Kingdom of Mercia at its greatest extent (7th to 9th centuries) is shown in green, with the original core area (6th century) given a darker tint. ... The East Midlands is one of the regions of England and consists of most of the eastern half of the traditional region of the Midlands. ... The River Welland is a river in the east of England, 56 km (35 m) long, and it has been a main waterway across the part of The Fens called South Holland for thousands of years. ...

The castle was built in the south-west corner of the upper walled town, the remainder of which was occupied by the town. The Domesday Book entry for Lincoln records that of the 1164 residences in the city, 166 were demolished to make way for the castle. Of the 1164 pre-Conquest residences, perhaps 600 will have been in the upper town. Before long, more was taken up when the cathedral and its close were placed there. A line drawing entitled Domesday Book from Andrew Williamss Historic Byways and Highways of Old England. ... Bayeux Tapestry depicting events leading to the Battle of Hastings The Norman Conquest of England was the conquest of the Kingdom of England by William the Conqueror (Duke of Normandy), in 1066 at the Battle of Hastings and the subsequent Norman control of England. ...

Work on the new fortification was completed in 1068. It is probable that at first a wooden keep was constructed which was later replaced with a much stronger stone one. Lincoln castle is a little unusual in having two mottes. To the south, where the Roman wall stands on the edge of a steep slope, it was retained partially as a curtain wall and partially as a revetment retaining the mottes. In the west, where the ground is more level, the Roman wall was buried within an earth rampart and extended upward to form the Norman castle wall. The Roman west gate (on the same site as the castle's westgate) was excavated in the 19th century but collapsed on exposure. Events Emperor Go-Sanjo ascends the throne of Japan William the Conqueror takes Exeter after a brief siege Births Henry I of England (d. ... A motte-and-bailey is a form of castle. ... Alternative meaning: Nineteenth Century (periodical) (18th century — 19th century — 20th century — more centuries) As a means of recording the passage of time, the 19th century was that century which lasted from 1801-1900 in the sense of the Gregorian calendar. ...

First Battle of Lincoln

The castle was the focus of attention during the First Battle of Lincoln which occurred on 2 February 1141, during the struggle between King Stephen and Empress Maud over who should be monarch in England. It was held but damaged, and a new tower, called the Lucy Tower, was built. Battle of Lincoln or First Battle of Lincoln occurred on 2 February 1141. ... Battle of Lincoln or First Battle of Lincoln occurred on 2 February 1141. ... Stephen (c. ... Empress Maud (1102 – September 10, 1167) is the title by which Matilda, daughter and dispossessed heir of King Henry I of England and his wife Maud of Scotland (herself daughter of Malcolm III Canmore and St. ... Look up monarch in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ...

1216

Main article: Second Battle of Lincoln

Lincoln Castle was again the site of a siege followed by the Second Battle of Lincoln, on 20 May 1217, during the reign of King John in the course of the First Barons' War. This was the period of political struggle which led to the signing of Magna Carta on June 15, 1215. After this, a new barbican was built onto the west and east gates. Second Battle of Lincoln. ... Second Battle of Lincoln. ... John deer hunting, from a manuscript in the British Library. ... The First Barons War (1215–1217) was a civil war in England between the forces of a number of rebellious barons and King John. ... Magna Carta Magna Carta (Latin for Great Charter, literally Great Paper), also called Magna Carta Libertatum (Great Charter of Freedoms), is an English charter originally issued in 1215. ... June 15 is the 166th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (167th in leap years), with 199 days remaining. ... // Events A certified copy of the Magna Carta June 15 - King John of England forced to put his seal to the Magna Carta, outlining the rights of landowning men (nobles and knights) and restricting the kings power. ... Barbican in Kraków Barbican (from mediæval Latin barbecana) - a fortified outpost or gateway, such as an outer defence to a city or castle and any tower situated over a gate or bridge which was used for defence purposes. ...

Post-medieval

As in Norwich and other places, the castle was used as a secure site in which to establish a prison. At Lincoln, the prison Gaol was built in 1787 and extended in 1847. Imprisoned debtors were allowed some social contact but the regime for criminals was designed to be one of isolation. Consequently, the seating in the prison chapel is designed to enclose each prisoner individually so that the preacher could see everyone but each could see only him. By 1878 the system was discredited and the inmates were transferred to the new jail in the eastern outskirts of Lincoln. The prison in the castle was left without a use until the the Lincolnshire Archives were housed in its cells. Norwich is a city in East Anglia, in Eastern England. ... The word Gaol can refer to the following: Gaol American/British English jail, Early Modern English spelling, though this spelling is seldom used today, it is still considered the official spelling in Australian English. ... Year 1787 was a common year starting on Monday (see link for calendar). ... 1847 was a common year starting on Friday (see link for calendar). ... 1878 (MDCCCLXXVIII) was a common year starting on Tuesday (see link for calendar). ...

The executioner at Lincoln^{[citation needed]} was a pioneer in the humane dispatch of convicts. He first used the long drop, designed to break the victim's neck rather than to strangle him, in 1872. Until a few years before this, prisoners had been publicly hanged on one of the mural towers of the curtain wall, overlooking the upper town. Year 1872 (MDCCCLXXII) was a leap year starting on Monday (link will display the full calendar) of the Gregorian Calendar (or a leap year starting on Wednesday of the 12-day slower Julian calendar). ...

Present day

Eleanor Cross Image File history File linksMetadata Size of this preview: 349 × 599 pixel Image in higher resolution (1104 × 1894 pixel, file size: 1. ...

George III Image File history File linksMetadata Size of this preview: 450 × 600 pixel Image in higher resolution (1536 × 2048 pixel, file size: 1. ...

Lincoln Castle remains one of the most impressive Norman castles in the United Kingdom. It is still possible to walk around the immense 12th century walls with its ramparts providing a magnificent view of the Castle complex, together with panoramic views of the Cathedral, the City of Lincoln and the surrounding countryside.

Another attraction is the opportunity to see one of the four surviving originals of the Magna Carta, sealed by King John after his meeting with the Barons at Runnymede in 1215, a document which is now housed within Lincoln Castle. There is also an accompanying exhibition, explaining the origin of the Magna Carta and its far reaching effects. Magna Carta Magna Carta (Latin for Great Charter, literally Great Paper), also called Magna Carta Libertatum (Great Charter of Freedoms), is an English charter originally issued in 1215. ... Runnymede is a water-meadow alongside the River Thames in the English county of Surrey. ... // Events A certified copy of the Magna Carta June 15 - King John of England forced to put his seal to the Magna Carta, outlining the rights of landowning men (nobles and knights) and restricting the kings power. ...

The grounds also contain remains of Lincoln's Eleanor cross, an oriel window moved from Sutton Hall and incorporated into the main gate, and a bust of George III of England from the Dunston Pillar [1]. The Eleanor Cross at Charing Cross The Eleanor crosses are lavishly decorated stone monuments in the shape of a cross that Edward I of England erected in memory of his wife Eleanor of Castile. ... An oriel is a large bay window projecting from a wall. ... George III (George William Frederick) (4 June 1738–29 January 1820) was King of Great Britain, and King of Ireland from 25 October 1760 until 1 January 1801, and thereafter King of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland until his death. ... Dunston Pillar in 2004 Dunston Pillar is a stone tower that stands beside the A15 (the ancient route of Ermine Street, one of the most important Roman roads in Britain) approximately 10 km south of Lincoln near the junction of the B1178 (also known as Tower Lane). ...

Some years ago, the archives moved on and the women's wing of the prison has now been refurbished for presentation to visitors.

The castle's grounds are occasionally the site of music concerts, such as the forthcoming performance by The Hollies on 26 August 2007. The Hollies The Hollies are a British rock and roll band formed in the early 1960s. ... August 26 is the 238th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (239th in leap years). ... 2007 (MMVII) is the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the Anno Domini (common) era. ...

The castle is now owned by Lincolnshire County Council and is a scheduled ancient monument. A Scheduled Ancient Monument is defined in the Ancient Monuments and Archaeological Areas Act 1979 and the National Heritage Act 1983 of the United Kingdom government. ...

External links

• About Lincolnshire convicts
• Aerial photograph. The square Roman fortress with the castle in its south-west and the Cathedral in its south-east corner respectively, can be picked out.