Lincoln City Centre

The Pottergate Arch and Lincoln Cathedral

Jew's Court, Lincoln

Uphill is Lincoln's old town with many grade listed buildings dating back to the medieval and roman periods these include Lincoln Cathedral, Lincoln Castle, Pottergate Arch, St Mary Magdalene and Newport Arch on the hill with Jew's House and Norman House on Steep Hill, among other listed buildings.[3]

It has a number of independent small businesses. Castle Square and Bailgate are the centre to Uphill. The square hosts the farmers' market and is the meeting point for Steep Hill, the castle and cathedral.

Steep Hill looking north

The area on the hillside, is a partly residencial area between the top and bottom. The area has a highest rent and market value: a mansion near Lincoln Cathedral in 2020 was up for sale for £2 million. Bailgate, Minster Yard, Eastgate and Drury Lane have housing prices ranging from £200,000 to £800,000.[4][5] Lincoln UTC, an educational institution with a campus called the Greestone Centre, is also on the hill.

The Strait looking north towards the cathedral

The Strait looking south towards High Street

The High Street is a mainly commercial and pedestrian in both Downhill and Cornhill. Downhill is the centre's cultural and nightlife area. It is centred upon the Guildhall and Stonebow. North of the Guildhall they are an number of cultural buildings: the grade II listed New Theatre Royal was built in the area in 1892, it is new because the previous building from 1806 was damaged in a fire;[6] Lincoln Museum and the Usher Gallery. St Hugh's Church (Grade II listed) and Lincoln College are also in the area.[7] North of the Guildhall also formerly included the church of St Peter at Arches and the Georgian Buttermarket which existed from 1737 until 1932: in their place is the former Norwich Union House, which has since been converted into multiple retail outlets. South-east of the Guildhall is Saltergate, Guildhall Street and St Swithins Square. The notable buildings on these streets are The Angel Coffee House, St Swithin's Church which is a Grade II* listed currently closed parish church. The church congregation currently meet opposite the church in a former Co-operative building.[8][9] Further down the high street is Waterside Shopping Centre and the River Witham which passes under High Bridge which the High Street is on.

High Bridge on High Street

Cornhill is the city's main market[10] and transportation area. It has two squares, St Benedict's and Cornhill. Cornhill Square is anchored by the early-Victorian Corn Exchange Arcade and the late-Victorian Corn Exchange.[11][12] St Benedict's is a Grade I listed former church (currently a book shop).[13] The High Street then passes over St Mary's Street/Wigford Way where it passes through a level crossing with the railway station and directly next to the level crossing is St Mary le Wigford church which is a Grade I listed church and the oldest active parish church in the city centre.[14][15]

South of the railway station, at Tenercroft Street, the High Street opens up to cars with mixed use buildings on either side, [16][17]The street runs southwards to St Catherines Roundabout and includes the former Lincoln St Marks Station, St Peter at Gowts Church, Central Methodist Church, Greek Orthodox Church of St. Basil and St. Paisios (Formerly St Botolph's Church until 2021)[18] and St Mary's Guildhall among other historic buildings.[19][20]

Looking north of Brayford Pool

Looking east of Brayford Pool

North of Brayford Pool is Newland, it is the centre's area of governance. Lindsey County Council moved to the area in 1932 from the County Hall in Uphill to the Council Offices (Lindsey County Council became Lincolnshire County Council in 1974)[21] with Lincoln City Council following by moving from the Guildhall in Downhill to the City Hall on Beaumont Fee in 1973.[22] South and east of the pool is New Boultham, it includes the University of Lincoln's main campus and multiple retail parks.

Lincoln offers park and ride facilities for residents and tourists to go up and down Steep Hill and to and from the Castle and Cathedral to different parts of the city centre. This service is a sight-seeing bus service.[30] Lincoln also operates local and distant bus services. These include services to Skegness, Grimsby, Scunthorpe, Newark on Trent, Gainsborough, Louth, Mablethorpe, Boston, Sleaford and Grantham among other destinations.[31] There is also a walk and ride shuttle bus service which allows walkers to board and alight whenever they wish to around the city centre.[32]

Lincoln has many connections to other cities and towns by rail, road and bus routes. The city also has the main waterway between River Witham and Foss Dyke which is popular with canal boats and small boats.[33]

Lincoln currently has a cycling scheme in place for residents and tourists with bikes being available for hire through the HireBike scheme by Lincolnshire County Council. However in 2022, this was in the process of being scrapped in favour of a new operatoring scheme and could include e-bikes as an option if it is successful.[34][35]

The city centre is served by a railway station with services to many parts of England including Doncaster, Leeds, Leicester, Liverpool, London, Nottingham, Peterborough, Sheffield and York. The station is operated by East Midlands Railway but also is served by other train operators including London North Eastern Railway and Northern Trains. The station is also adjacent to the bus station which offers an interchange between the two.[36] The city centre was also served by St Mark's railway station directly southwest of the modern railway station. It closed in 1980 to passengers and is now a shopping centre.[37]

Lincoln city centre is served by many roads, with the main busy through routes being Wigford Way. Tritton Road, Melville Street[38] and Monks Road.[39] These roads in and around the city offer direct connections to the A15 to Scunthorpe, Brigg, Lincoln, Sleaford, Bourne and Peterborough.[40] The A46 is the main through road between Leicester, Newark-on-Trent, Lincoln, Market Rasen and Grimsby. Additional routes include the A57 to Worksop via the A1, As well as the A156 to Gainsborough. [41]The A158 to Horncastle and Skegness. As well as the A607 to Waddington and Grantham. Newark Road also connects the city to North Hykeham. Most traffic around the city centre use the A46 and Lincoln Eastern Bypass.[42]

To the east of the city is the former Lincolnshire Loop Line between Lincoln, Bardney and Boston which is now the Water Rail Way. It follows the course of the River Witham and offers a scenic walk and ride between Lincoln and Boston.[43]Additionally, to the west of the city is the trackbed of the former Lancashire, Derbyshire and East Coast Railway which has been converted into a footpath between Lincoln/Skellingthorpe and Fledborough in Nottinghamshire via the Fledborough Viaduct. It closed in 1980 and is now part of the national cycle route and is also a bridleway.