Lincoln Castle

Lincoln Castle is a huge fortification on a hill, looking out over the city of Lincoln. There were Roman walls and fortresses and roads and whatnot here almost 2,000 years ago, and you can still see lots of ruins in various places around town. The castle overlooks the Cathedral (or vice versa) and was built by the Normans in the late 11th century. It is unusal in that it has TWO "mottes", aka round mounds whereon you build your keep - the only other one in England is Lewes Castle, which I visited last year.

All pics here.

Lincoln Cathedral and some of the old city, as seen from the castle walls.




What remains of Lincolns' Eleanor Cross, the first and northermost of the 12 crosses raised by king Edward I in memory of his wife Eleanor. She died close to Lincoln in 1290, and the king ordered a cross erected in every one of the twelve places they stayed until they reached London, where she was buried.


The Lincolnshire courthouse. The building is from the early 1820s and is STILL used for hearings and cases and such. You were not allowed in unless you had actual business there, but I hear it's magnificent on the inside. Sigh.


This is the old prison building. About half of it housed the governor and his family, and the rest was used to hold some of the meanest bastards in Lincolnshire. Nowadays it houses one of only four copies of the original Magna Carta. You can't take any pics of the document, or I would have...


The castle walls. Normally you can walk around the whole castle, but parts of it are closed off now, due to the work on the new visitor centre.


The roof of an old tower where they held prisoners. I believe it was once a guard tower. In the 1800s they erected a gallows on top, so they could hang people in full view from down below. I honestly wish they'd bring back public hanging. The TV rights alone would finance the whole UK criminal system.


The new visitor center they're building. It's supposed to be finished by 2015, in time for the 800-year jubilee of the Magna Carta. To the right is the covered up motte with the Lucy tower.


A bust of king George III, one of the most clinically insane bastards ever to hold the English throne. And that's sayin' sumfin'.


Apparently, you can make the most delicate carvings with a chainsaw.


This is a watertower. Yeah, the Victorians knew how to build 'em.


Union Jack. Sniffles.