Visiting Lincoln Castle

The Castle is open 7 days a week from 10am until 5pm and it's free to enter. Check the www.lincolncastle.com for any special events or evening openings.

Remember, Hemswell is only 15 minutes away by car so why not visit both during your stay.

THERE ARE LOTS OF REASONS TO VISIT LINCOLN CASTLE:

After a £22 million restoration project, Lincoln Castle, built by William the Conqueror’s Norman army in 1068 to suppress the local Saxon population, is celebrating the grand opening of its world-class exhibits:

Human Remains from a Saxon Church
During archeological excavations prior to the building of the new Magna Carta centre, a Saxon sarcophagus was discovered. DNA testing and a facial reconstruction of the skull is being carried out at university research centres in Leicester and Dundee.

Medieval Wall Walk
Long-damaged sections of the curtain wall have now been restored, so that visitors may walk the complete circuit of the ramparts and enjoy magnificent views over the city and surrounding countryside. An audio tour explains the names, functions and stories associated with the castle’s towers and dungeons.

Magna Carta Exhibition Centre
Until recently, the Lincoln copy of the Magna Carta was kept in a cabinet in Lincoln Cathedral.
However, thanks to funding from the David Ross Foundation, a new exhibition centre has been built within the grounds of Lincoln Castle with a temperature and humidity-controlled vault to house the Magna Carta, together with one of only two surviving copies of the Charter of the Forest, which was issued in 1217 as supplementary legislation.

All of the words of the Magna Carta are embossed on a wall near the entrance to the centre with those sentences still relevant today, picked out in gold.

Within the centre is a fabulous curved 210 degree ‘wraparound’ screen in a full-height cinematic auditorium with 3D surround sound. Here, visitors will be able to see two educational films, suitable for both adults and children, by Centre Screen Productions:
• Magna Carta: Challenging the Power of a King - a dramatic reconstruction of events leading up to the sealing of Magna Carta in 1215.
• Magna Carta: Meaning and Myth - a fresh look at the significance of the charter down the ages.

Victorian Prison
The castle’s Victorian prison was operational between 1848 and 1878 and built on the ‘separate system’, designed to isolate prisoners from each other.
                                   
Now it is now home to more interactive technology for the modern visitor, with touch-screen tabletops, tablet computers and inmates’ video stories, researched from over 10,000 diary entries made by prison staff and debtors.

From April to October, actors replay typical scenes of prison life. The Victorian prison has also been used as a location for some scenes in ITV’s ‘Downton Abbey’ and BBC1’s ‘Call the Midwife.’

Take home your own piece of history!
While you’re in Lincoln, why not make the short trip north of the historic quarter to visit Hemswell Antique Centres? We’re only 15 minutes away! In the decommissioned buildings on a former WWII RAF Lancaster bomber base, 400 antique dealers bring together their objects and expertise to make Hemswell the largest antiques centre in Europe!

There is something for every taste and budget; from solid pieces of furniture to exquisite items of jewellery, paintings and prints to china and glass, classic timepieces to out-of-print books, mirrors to militaria, vintage clothing to reclaimed garden architecture.

Feel free to come and browse. Our staff will make you welcome and show you any piece which you would like to examine in more detail. You are free to ‘live a little’ and we look forward to seeing you!

For more information on travelling to Lincoln, where to stay, places to eat and things to see and do, go to: www.visitlincoln.com

For more information on the Magna Carta exhibition at Lincoln Castle go to: www.lincolncastle.com

For more information on the David Ross Foundation go to: http://www.davidrossfoundation.co.uk/

For more information on events to celebrate the 800th Centenary of the Magna Carte go to: http://www.magnacarta800th.com/

For more information on Centre Screen Productions go to: http://www.centrescreen.co.uk/

And for more information on Hemswell Antiques, just stay here awhile and browse our site...

Remember - stock is constantly being refreshed, so if you visit us in person there is always some new treasure to be found!