This little square looks so benign today, almost empty in early February, but bustling with locals and tourists for much of the rest of the year. However, over the centuries it has seen more than it's fair share of conflict, some of it pivotal in the history of Britain. When the Romans came to Britain in the 1st century, they quickly learned the significance of Lincoln, then nothing more than a small Iron Age settlement along the river, and a fort on the hill overlooking the gap in a long limestone ridge. This strategic position led to the Romans building their own fort on the hill, and a bustling town soon grew up around it. As the wild frontier moved further north, the Roman town of Lindum became a Colonia, where old legionnaires settled and lived out their retirement in relative luxury. When the Romans left early in the 5th century, they left their walled town to be settled by Saxons and Vikings in turn, who all recognised the strategic position on the hill.

After William the Conqueror defeated Harold Godwinson at Hastings in 1066, he faced fierce resistance in the northern area known as the Danelaw, where the Scandinavian influence remained strong. This led him to build several castles, including here at Lincoln, and although it has been modified over the centuries much of the original Norman Castle remains. Although the Castle was built on the site of the old Roman fort, and the remaining Roman walls were incorporated into the new fortification, contemporary records show that 166 "unoccupied residencies" were demolished to make way for the new Castle. Lincoln Castle is almost unique in having two mottes, or mounds, the only other one being at Lewes in Sussex. It would originally have been a simple wooden keep, before the stone building was completed in 1068.

There have been several major battles fought around the Castle, worth researching separately if you are interested. But the Castle is most famous for being the only place in the world to have original copies of both the Magna Carta and the Charter of the Forest. Visitors can now see them in a purpose built vault. The Castle has also been a prison and a courthouse, and the Crown Court still operates to this day, while the old Georgian and Victorian prisons are now a unique tourist attraction. Public events are held in the Castle all year round, from jousting to concerts, and the Christmas Market. Today the area has almost been permanently pedestrianised, with traffic allowed for deliveries and the court only, but I remember cycling through the square every day to school from 1968-75, and it looked very similar to the old photo in this video.

свернуть