Lincoln: A Potted History

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 was home to the UK’s original Christmas market. However, this popular tourist destination has an ancient history that can be traced back 2,000 years to when it was a large Roman harbour town called Lindum Colonia. Despite the transformation the city has undergone over the centuries, much of its architectural heritage remains, with the Roman infrastructure and buildings from the time of the Norman Conquest still in existence 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, and with the arrival of the railways and industry in the nineteenth century Lincoln became a major centre for heavy industry. The city also 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 Lincoln’s transformation through the ages will be of great interest to residents, visitors and all those with links to the city.