museums and heritage

Celebrating a rich and varied history

For nearly 1,000 years Lincoln Cathedral has been a centre of religious worship; an incredible piece of architecture featuring the Romanesque West Front, soaring towers and vibrant stained glass windows. But Greater Lincoln's heritage spreads far wider, with many fine stately homes, castles and churches dotted around the picturesque countryside; Sleaford's St Denys church has one of the oldest broach stone spires in the country and its altar rail is by Sir Christopher Wren.

Back in Lincoln itself, two other unmissable historical treasures are the castle, with one of the only four surviving copies of Magna Carta, and the Lincoln Medieval Bishops' Palace, initiated by Bishop St Hugh and completed in 1230.

The region is famed for its windmills and there are many still working today, such as Hewitts Mill in Gainsborough; restored to its former glory and producing organic flour. On the banks of the River Slea, Cogglesford Mill is Lincolnshire's last working watermill and of national importance.

Many of the airfields around Greater Lincoln played a crucial role in World War II. You can explore this rich aviation history at RAF Waddington's award-winning Aviation Trail, boasting many museums and visitor centres. Meanwhile in Gainsborough, the Dambusters Inn & Heritage Centre commemorates the 617 'Dambusters' Squadron, who raided the Mohne, Eder and Sorpe dams in Germany in May 1943, from nearby RAF Scampton.

Lincoln City's main museum is The Collection, which houses artefacts from the Stone, Bronze and Iron Ages, Roman, Saxon, Viking and Medieval eras as well as fine, decorative and contemporary visual arts. Free to enter, The Collection also embraces the region's premier art gallery, the Usher. Meanwhile, the Museum of Lincolnshire Life is a fascinating reflection on the culture of Lincolnshire and it people from 1750 to the present day.

www.visitlincolnshire.com