Lincoln

The earliest origins of Lincoln can be traced to the remains of an Iron Age settlement of round wooden dwellings dated to the 1st century BC. This settlement was built by a deep pool (the modern Brayford Pool) in the River Witham at the foot of a large hill (on which the Normans later built Lincoln Cathedral and Lincoln Castle).

The name Lincoln probably originates from this period, likely deriving from the Celtic Lindu dark pool or Lindun fort on a hill by a pool. It was subsequently Latinised in the Roman period to Lindum, and thence Lindum Colonia,when it was converted into a settlement for army veterans, which in Anglo-Saxon became Lincoln.

In Viking times Lincoln was a trading centre important enough to issue coins from its own mint. After the establishment of Dane Law in 886, Lincoln became one of The Five Boroughs in the East Midlands. In 1068, two years after the Norman Conquest, William I ordered Lincoln Castle to be built on the site of the former Roman settlement.

The first Lincoln Cathedral, within its close or walled precinct facing the castle, was begun when the see was removed from Dorchester and completed in 1092; it was rebuilt after a fire but was destroyed by an unusual earthquake in 1185.

The rebuilt Lincoln Minster, enlarged to the east at each rebuilding, was on a magnificent scale, its crossing tower crowned by a spire reputed to have been 160 m (525 feet) high, the highest in Europe. When completed the central of the three spires is widely accepted to have succeeded the Great Pyramids of Egypt as the tallest man-made structure in the world.

The bishops of Lincoln were among the magnates of medieval England: Lincolnshire, the largest diocese, had more monasteries than the rest of England put together, and the diocese was supported by large estates outside the county. When the Magna Carta was drawn up in 1215, one of the witnesses was Hugh of Wells, Bishop of Lincoln. A copy is now preserved in Lincoln Castle.

The administrative centre was the Bishop’s Palace, the third element in the central complex. When it was built in the late 12th century, the Bishop’s Palace was one of the most important buildings in England.

By 1150, Lincoln was amongst the wealthiest towns in England. The basis of the economy was cloth and wool, exported to Flanders; Lincoln weavers had set up a guild in 1130 to produce Lincoln Cloth, especially the fine dyed "scarlet" and "green" the reputation of which was later enhanced by Robin Hood wearing "Lincoln Green". In the Guildhall that surmounts a city gate, the ancient Council Chamber contains Lincoln's civic insignia, probably the finest collection of civic regalia outside London.

Lincoln was home to one of the five most important Jewish communities in England, well established before it was officially noted in 1154. In 1190, anti-semitic riots that started in King's Lynn, Norfolk, spread to Lincoln; the Jewish community took refuge with royal officials, but their habitations were plundered. The so-called "House of Aaron" has a two-storey street frontage that is essentially 12th century and a nearby Jew's House likewise bears witness to the Jewish population.

During the 13th century, Lincoln was the third largest city in England and was a favourite of more than one king. It also became caught up in the strife between the king and the rebel barons who had allied with the French, which was an ongoing result on the baron rebellion against King John. It was here and at Dover that the French and rebel army was defeated. However, during the 14th century, the city's fortunes began to decline. The lower city was prone to flooding and became increasingly isolated.

By the Georgian era, Lincoln’s fortunes began to pick up, thanks in part to the Agricultural Revolution. The re-opening of the Foss Dyke allowed coal and other raw materials vital to industry to be more easily brought into the city. Coupled with the arrival of the railway links, Lincoln boomed again during the Industrial Revolution, and began to excel in heavy engineering, building diesel engine trains, steam shovels, and all manner of heavy machinery.

In the world wars Lincoln naturally switched to war production. The first ever tanks were invented, designed and built in Lincoln by William Foster & Co. Ltd during the World War I and population growth provided more workers for even greater expansion.

Following World War II, new suburbs were built, but heavy industry has declined towards the end of the 20th century mimicking the wider economic profile of the United Kingdom. What is now Siemens Industrial Turbomachinery is the city’s biggest employer: More people are employed today building gas turbines than anything else.