Lincoln Castle

Lincoln Castle crowns Castle Hill in Lincolnshire, overlooking the city and the River Witham. Originally erected by William the Conqueror in 1068 on a former Roman fortress, its rare twin-motte design and formidable curtain walls make it one of England’s best-preserved Norman strongholds.
Visitors explore three flagship attractions: the Medieval Wall Walk, a one-third-mile circuit of battlements and towers; the David P. J. Ross Magna Carta Vault, home to an original 1215 Magna Carta and 1217 Charter of the Forest; and the Victorian Prison, complete with its unique Separate System chapel and restored cells.
Facilities include a café serving hot and cold drinks, a gift shop stocked with books and souvenirs, paid on-site parking, accessible toilets, wheelchair-accessible lifts to the East Wall Walk and prison floors, audio guides (English, French, German), induction-loop hearing assistance, two hireable wheelchairs and assistance-dog access.

Strategically sited at the junction of Ermine Street, Fosse Way and the River Witham, Lincoln Castle’s double mottes and massive walls once commanded major Roman roads and guarded the Danelaw frontier. It endured the First Battle of Lincoln in 1141 and the Second Battle of Lincoln in 1217—key engagements that influenced England’s succession crises and cemented royal authority in the Midlands.
An enduring claim to fame: Lincoln Castle safeguards one of only four surviving original Magna Carta manuscripts, sealed by King John in 1215. This document’s presence underscores the castle’s pivotal role in the evolution of English common law and civil liberties.

Photo credit: Matt Brown