Lincoln Cathedral from Lincoln Castle

Lincoln

Route: Lincoln

Area: North Lincolnshire

Date of walk: 12th March 2022

Walkers: Andrew, Gilly and James

Distance: 5.0 miles

Ascent: 300 feet

Weather: Sunny intervals

We’d heard recently that the scaffolding had been removed from the West Front of Lincoln Cathedral, leaving it scaffold-free for the first time in 36 years. We decided to plan a walk which would feature the Cathedral in the itinerary, along with other points of interest in the city

The main shopping and tourist area stretches from St Marks Shopping centre in the south up to the Cathedral Quarter – known locally as ‘Uphill’. Steep Hill connects downhill and uphill Lincoln and we would use this for the return part of a circular walk

We parked in the central car park near the bus and railway station ‘downhill’ (the city is well served by public transport, so it’s possible to leave the car at home). We passed by the church of St Mary le Wigford, dating back to the 11th century, and then made our way to Brayford Pool, a lake formed by the widening of the River Witham. The waterfront surrounding the pool is home to a modern university. We continued uphill, mostly along residential streets, passing through Liquorice Park and making a short diversion to see Ellis Mill at the edge of the Cathedral Quarter

We then passed under Newport Arch, a 3rd century Roman Gate, and walked to nearby Lincoln Castle, where we paid for tickets for the Medieval Wall Walk. This was one of the highlights of the day, with wonderful views over the cathedral and the surrounding countryside. After descending from the castle wall we visited the focal point of today’s walk – the magnificent Lincoln Cathedral. Various tours are available here, and it’s worth setting aside plenty of time to enjoy at least one of these. After admiring the restored exterior and visiting the interior we walked down Steep Hill and High Street back to the start

If time is short, I’d recommend omitting the western section of the loop which we walked. Although it has a few points of interest they don’t compare with what’s on offer ‘uphill’. Instead, just head straight up High Street and Steep Hill to the Cathedral Quarter and retrace your steps. There’s enough interest at the Castle and Cathedral to occupy a full day

Click on the icon below for the route map (subscribers to OS Maps can view detailed maps of the route, visualise it in aerial 3D, and download the GPX file. Non-subscribers will see a base map)

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