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Lincoln Leasing

Did You Know?

Did you know that Lincoln was once home to the world’s tallest building, or that it will host the world’s first ever robotic farm? Or that Downton Abbey and the Da Vinci Code were filmed here? There’s more to this city than meets the eye.

Egypt’s Great Pyramid of Giza was the world’s tallest man-made structure for thousands of years, until it was finally surpassed by Lincoln Cathedral, reaching just short of 160 metres tall when an expansion was completed in 1311. The cathedral then held the record until its spire collapsed nearly two and a half centuries later in 1549.

When Eleanor of Castile – the wife of King Edward ‘Longshanks’ I – made a voyage from to Lincoln from London in 1290, she would sadly never arrive. She died in the village of Harby, around 50 kilometres outside the city. The king was distraught.

Lincoln is home to one of the UK’s best-preserved castles, and although it is not as physically imposing as the cathedral, it parallels it in historical significance. Nearly 1,000 years old, Lincoln Castle was built by William the Conqueror on the site of a Roman fort just two years after the Norman-French army’s victory at the Battle of Hastings.

The most impressive relic with a home in Lincoln is without doubt the city’s original copy of the 1215 Magna Carta – one of only four that survive today. After King John sealed the historic charter, copies were sent to various religious locations around the country, and the Bishop of Lincoln brought one back to the city.

These days Lincoln is counted among the UK’s smaller cities; the current population of around 100,000 doesn’t even rank it in the top 70. But it hasn’t always been like that. Population records become sketchier the further back you go, but we do know that in Roman times Lincoln was one of the largest settlements in the country.

Connecting Lincoln to the River Trent at Torksey, the Fossdyke Navigation was built by the Romans over 2,000 years ago and is the oldest canal still in use in the UK.

One of the things we love about Lincoln is its abundance of water features. The most prominent of these is the Brayford Waterfront, a natural lake formed where the Fossdyke meets the River Witham. Close to the heart of the city centre.

Britain’s Roman roads paved the way for the country’s modern infrastructure. Characteristically long and straight, the greatest of these roads was Fosse Way, which extended over 200 miles from Exeter to Lincoln. The sections of Fosse Way near Lincoln have been transformed into what is now the A46, linking the city with Leicester.

At the heart of Lincoln’s city centre stands one of the city’s most recognisable features. High Bridge, which carries the High Street at its busiest point across the River Witham, is the oldest bridge in the UK.

It was the Romans who first created a major settlement in around AD 50. A wooden fortress was built at the top of the hill, which was later turned into a colonia (a retiring home for soldiers). The name Lindon was then latinised to become Lindum Colonia.

Built in the 3rd century, it is the only remaining Roman archway in the UK that is still used for traffic to pass under it. The arch was part of a wall that once encircled the city, and opened the way into the centre from the north side for traders.