Lincoln: A Potted History

An accessible history of Lincoln from prehistory to the present day highlighting the city’s significant events and people

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Lincoln is a modern university city. It has a bustling twenty-first century waterfront with restaurants, bars and hotels and, for over forty years, it has been home to the UK’s original Christmas market. However, this popular tourist destination has a history which can be traced back two thousand years to when Lindum Colonia was a large Roman harbour town.

Despite the transformation the city has undergone over the centuries, much of its heritage remains. Roman infrastructure and buildings from the time of the Norman Conquest can still be seen close to Lincoln’s magnificent cathedral. As a market town, Lincoln prospered due to its proximity to the ancient Fosse Way which made trading easy, but in the nineteenth century with the arrival of the railways and industry Lincoln became a major centre for heavy industry and the city played a unique role in both World Wars. It was at Lincoln’s William Foster and Co factory that the first tank was developed for the military in 1916 and nearby airfields, which were home to Bomber Command, became pivotal in helping the allies to win the Second World War.

Illustrated throughout, this accessible historical portrait of the transformation that Lincoln has undergone through the ages will be of great interest to residents, visitors and all those with links to the city.