Grand houses, Knights Templar towers and extravagant cathedrals, Lincolnshire has it all.
The county of Lincolnshire, England, has a long unique history. Once part of the Roman Empire, the area was conquered by the Anglo-Saxons, who established the kingdom of Lindsey during the 6th century. Later conquered by the Danes and then again by the Normans, Lincolnshire over the centuries became steadfastly English in nature. Abbeys, castles and grand manor houses rose up amongst the rolling hills of Lincolnshire.
Google Maps The route of Day 6’s adventure.
Lincolnshire has witnessed much in its long history: the rise and fall of the Knights Templar, the rule of powerful bishops, and finally grand manor houses built over the remains of entire towns. My adventure through Lincolnshire gave me a taste for this rich heritage.
Stop 1: Burghley House
Nestled next to a modern golf course and a herd of elk lies the grand 16th century Burghley House. Built by William Cecil, 1st Lord Burghley, Queen Elizabeth I’s adviser in 1555-87, the Burghley manor demonstrates a cross between English Tudor and Italian Baroque architectural styles.
I seriously was not kidding about the deer park. The first thing you see from the parking lot are these guys. The guy on the left must be sporting a new form of deer fashion.
Simply put: This house is bloody huge.
Sporting 35 major rooms on the ground and first floors, this manor was decked out in Baroque fashion, with frescoes covering every inch of some rooms. More than 80 rooms sprawl across the Burghley manor house. They didn’t allow photos to be taken inside. Boo!
The house is surrounded on all sides by parkland. Multiple gardens are located on one side, one being the weirdest sculpture garden I have ever seen.
Just one of the strange sculptures here. There was also a giant snake made out of plastic bags on a tree.
You might have seen Burghley House without even knowing it. The manor is featured in the films The DaVinci Code, Pride & Prejudice, and Elizabeth: The Golden Age.
Stop 2: Temple Bruer
A lone relic from what was once-sprawling Knights Templar complex, Temple Bruer now sits hidden away on an abandoned farm outside of Lincoln. No sign points to this find, no decent directions exist, and even Google led me astray.
Just a small part of a large complex. You can still see where another building connected with this one.
The Knights Templar financed their campaigns through their large estates in Europe, and a large one sat at this very spot south of the medieval center of Lincoln. The community of Templars in Lincolnshire was broken up on January 10, 1308, when Edward II sent knights to arrest the monk-knight of the Templar for their vague crimes that were never substantiated.
Templar Bruer is the only thing that remains from this era, a lone testament to a period steeped in mystery.
The inside was kind of cool.
Stop 3: Lincoln
Lincoln as a settlement predates the Roman Invasion of England. The Romans turned it into a colony (Lindum), which was later conquered by a succession of groups, the Anglo-Saxons, Vikings and then the Normans. Now a cathedral city and county seat, Lincolnshire is a thriving population center and has grown well beyond its old city walls.
This was not the first time I stepped foot in Lincoln. About two weeks after I arrived in England, a school field trip of sorts was offered to explore the Roman ruins of Lincoln. I literally jumped at the chance. Who else wouldn’t pass up a chance like this (especially since I didn’t have to pay a dime for it)? A few of the photos below come from that first trip, hence the dramatic change in weather between the photos.
Newport Arch, built in the 3rd century by the Romans. Cars still drive through it today, although that has been questioned since a truck hit the arch a couple of years ago. Many Roman ruins still survive today in Lincoln.
The center of Lincoln. The cathedral was built on the top of a promontory, visible from miles away.
The Bishop of Lincoln was one of the largest landholders in Lincolnshire, immensely powerful, so it is without great surprise the Norman bishop, Remigius de Fécamp, in 1088, started a grand cathedral to trump all others. It has been said that the spire (which collapsed in the 16th century) was the first building to surpass the Great Pyramids of Egypt.
The Norman front of the Cathedral.
Lincoln Cathedral survived many traumas in its long history; a fire destroyed its wooden roof in 1141; a strange earthquake (one of the largest ever felt in the UK) extensively damaged the cathedral, only the lower part of the west end (the front) and two attached towers remain of the pre-earthquake cathedral; and the spire collapsed in the 16th century.
The nave of Lincoln Cathedral with its spectacular Gothic vaulted ceiling. I just love the different color stone that was used in the columns.
After the earthquake, the cathedral was rebuilt, now in the early English Gothic style, which includes the cathedral’s famed vaulted ceiling, pointed arches and flying buttresses. Today, the cathedral is the 3rd largest in Britain (in floor space) after St. Paul’s in London and York Minster (featured in my post on Medieval York).
The splendid quire (choir area) of the cathedral. I will admit, Lincoln Cathedral is one of my favorite cathedrals.
The High Altar. So bright and cheery in here even though it was a hopelessly cloudy day.
Next stop in Lincoln was the Medieval Bishop’s Palace. Built in the late 12th century, it was the grandest residential structures in England and the administrative center of the vast Diocese of Lincoln.
The palace was sacked during the English Civil War and then abandoned. Today it is a ruin, mostly open to the sky that visitors can wander through.
The most notable surviving feature of the palace, the West Hall.
One of the most notable features of Lincoln is the Steep Hill.
They weren’t kidding around.
The narrow street is lined with centuries old buildings, now filled with shops and restaurants. The street winds its way down to the river where the newest part of the city is located. I only climbed down (and up) this hill the first time I visited Lincoln and had an asthma attack in the process. The street is very steep.
Who couldn’t love an old bridge with a swan underneath? Sooooo English!
Lincolnshire is a must see. The tranquility of the countryside and the quiet bustle of the city makes for a pleasant day trip, or two. Go explore, you may never know what you may find hidden away on that abandoned farm or in the middle of an ancient city.
Check out Day 7 of my adventure where I visit the awesome southern Yorkshire.
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Start at the beginning of my 30 days around Great Britain!
