Lincolnshire

Main article: Lincolnshire

Further information: Ceremonial county of Lincolnshire, History of Lincolnshire

Geography

Lincolnshire is a big, quiet county in England. It is found in the East Midlands and Yorkshire and the Humber parts of the country. The North Sea touches its east side.

The land in Lincolnshire looks different in different places. In the southeast is part of the Fens, a wet area where people grow crops. The southwest has hills. A wide valley stretches from the middle to the north. The northeast has the lovely Lincolnshire Wolds, chosen as a national landscape. The west edge is defined by the Lincolnshire Edge, a long, tall ridge.

History

Lincolnshire has stayed calm through many years. Long ago in Roman times, Lincoln was a key place called Lindum Colonia. The Angles came and made the Kingdom of Lindsey. In 1072, Lincoln grew as a religious spot, and its famous cathedral was built slowly over time.

During World War II, the flat fields of Lincolnshire helped the Royal Air Force. Because of this, people called the area “Bomber County.”

History

Main article: History of Lincolnshire

In ancient times, Lincolnshire was home to a group of people called the Corieltauvi. Later, many people from Germany moved there. The area became part of places like the Kingdom of Lindsey and the Danelaw. It was once called "Lindsey," as written in the Domesday Book.

Lincolnshire has many old buildings. One is Woolsthorpe Manor, where the scientist Isaac Newton was born. The county also has old houses and castles, such as Belton House, Boston Stump, and Tattershall Castle.

Geography

Lincolnshire has many different landscapes with rivers and countryside. In the north is the Isle of Axholme, and along the coast are ports and seaside towns like Skegness. The county includes areas like the Lincolnshire Wolds with hills, the Fens with wet lands, and the Marshes near the coast.

The highest point in Lincolnshire is Wolds Top. The area has nature reserves, including Gibraltar Point and Donna Nook. Rivers like the Trent and the Witham are important to the landscape.

Governance

Main article: Politics of Lincolnshire

Lincolnshire's rules for leaders have changed a lot over time. In 1889, new groups called county councils were made to help run the county. In 1974, some areas joined a new group called Humberside. But in 1996, Humberside was split up again.

Today, Lincolnshire has a main group called Lincolnshire County Council that helps make big decisions for most of the county. There are also smaller groups in different parts of the county, each with its own leaders. Some places, like North Lincolnshire and North East Lincolnshire, have their own special groups that work in their own way.

Lately, people have talked about changing how these groups work together even more. Some ideas talk about joining some groups or splitting the county into new areas with their own leaders. These changes are still being talked about.

Demography

Lincolnshire is a mostly rural county in England. It has about 1.1 million people. The county covers 6,959 square kilometers and includes countryside and coastal areas. The tables below show information about the ethnic and religious makeup of Lincolnshire from 2021.

Economy

Lincolnshire has many important businesses, such as the Lincs FM Group, Young's Seafood, Openfield, and the Lincolnshire Co-operative.

The county is good at farming. It grows a lot of wheat, barley, sugar beet, and oilseed rape. In the south, where the soil is rich, farmers grow potatoes, cabbages, cauliflowers, and onions. Lincolnshire is also known for special animals, like the Lincoln Red cattle and the Lincoln Longwool sheep.

Public services

Main article: Education in Lincolnshire

Lincolnshire uses a test called the eleven-plus to decide which students can go to special high schools called grammar schools. Because of this, many towns have grammar schools and other schools called secondary modern schools. Even some big villages have their own smaller schools, and buses take students to larger high schools.

Lincoln, the main city, mostly uses schools for all students, called comprehensive schools. But students can still take the eleven-plus test to go to a grammar school outside the city if they do well. The county is also home to the University of Lincoln.

The county’s health care is managed by big hospital groups, such as the United Lincolnshire Hospitals NHS Trust and the Northern Lincolnshire and Goole Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust. Major hospitals include Diana, Princess of Wales Hospital in Grimsby, Scunthorpe General Hospital, Boston Pilgrim Hospital, and Lincoln County Hospital. Since 1994, Lincolnshire has had an air ambulance service based near Lincoln.

Transport

Main article: Transport in Lincolnshire

Lincolnshire has fewer roads and railways than many other parts of the United Kingdom because it is far from major cities. Most roads here are single carriageways, and there are very few motorways. The M180 motorway goes through North Lincolnshire and leads to places like the Humber Bridge.

There are not many railway stations or train services in Lincolnshire because there are not many people living there. Many old railway lines closed long ago, but some have opened again. Today, trains are run by different companies, and you can travel to big cities like London, but you might need to change trains. The main airport near Lincolnshire is Humberside Airport, while East Midlands Airport and Doncaster Sheffield Airport are also close by.

There are also bus services and cycle routes that let people explore the county by bike or bus.

Towns and villages

Main article: List of settlements in Lincolnshire by population

Lincolnshire has many interesting towns and villages. The biggest towns are Lincoln, Grimsby, and Scunthorpe. Other important towns are Boston, Grantham, and Spalding. These towns are known for their history and community life.

Tourism

Tourism in Lincolnshire is mostly focused on its coastal towns and villages. The county has some of the most famous seaside resorts in the United Kingdom. Visitors come from across England, especially from the East Midlands and Yorkshire. The main resorts include Skegness, known for its "Jolly Fisherman" mascot. Nearby towns include Ingoldmells and Chapel St Leonards. These areas have beaches, games, shops, and attractions like Butlins Skegness, Fantasy Island, and the Natureland Seal Sanctuary.

Other popular spots include Mablethorpe and Sutton-on-Sea, known for their golden sands. Cleethorpes has its own pier and light railway. Nature lovers visit places like Gibraltar Point and Donna Nook to see birds and grey seals. Market towns such as Louth, Alford, and Horncastle have historic buildings. The city of Lincoln is a key destination, with landmarks like Lincoln Castle and Lincoln Cathedral.

Culture

Lincolnshire has a simple, country-style culture. Towns are far apart, so many villages stay close together. They have shops, pubs, and local halls for fun activities. Fishing and shooting are popular pastimes.

Lincoln’s culture is linked to its history. The Lincoln Museum is an archaeological museum and art gallery, and Lincoln Cathedral hosts many events, like concerts and food markets.

Urban areas

Though mostly rural, Lincolnshire has urban areas around bigger towns. Grimsby-Cleethorpes is the largest urban area. Lincoln, including North Hykeham, Bracebridge Heath, and Waddington, is also big. Other urban areas are Scunthorpe, Grantham, Boston, Spalding, Skegness, and Gainsborough.

People

People born in Lincolnshire are sometimes called “Yellowbellies.” This name may come from the uniform of the 10th Regiment of Foot.

Local dialect

Lincolnshire has its own special ways of speaking, like saying “watter” for “water” and using “duck” as a friendly greeting.

Music

“The Lincolnshire Poacher” is a famous folk song and almost the county’s unofficial anthem. It was once the march of the 10th Regiment of Foot.

Food

Lincolnshire has special local foods like stuffed chine (a pork dish), haslet (a pork loaf), Lincolnshire sausages, pork pies, and Giblet pie. There is also Grantham Gingerbread and Lincolnshire Poacher cheese.

Annual events

The Lincolnshire Agricultural Show happens every June and draws many visitors. Other events include the RAF Waddington Air Show in July and the Haxey Hood competition in January.

Sport

Popular sports in Lincolnshire include football, cricket, and rugby union. Lincoln City and Grimsby Town are the main football teams. There are also cricket, hockey, rugby, and motor-racing venues across the county.

Media

Press

Lincolnshire has one daily newspaper, the Grimsby Telegraph, published in Grimsby. It is read in towns like Louth and Alford, and even in places as far west as Brigg. There are also two weekly papers: the Lincolnshire Echo from Lincoln and the Scunthorpe Telegraph for northern Lincolnshire. All these papers are owned by Reach plc.

Other weekly papers serve specific towns in the county and are published by Iliffe Media. One of these, the Stamford Mercury, is claimed to be Britain’s oldest newspaper, though today it is just a local weekly.

Television

Most of Lincolnshire gets its TV from the Belmont transmitting station. This station provides ITV Yorkshire and BBC Yorkshire and Lincolnshire programmes. The BBC shows Look North news from Hull, with help from studios in Lincoln and Grimsby. ITV shows Calendar news.

The south-west part of Lincolnshire receives BBC East Midlands and ITV Central from the Waltham transmitting station. Some villages near the Lincoln Cliff get their TV from the Emley Moor transmitting station near Huddersfield because they can’t get a signal from Belmont.

Radio

Local BBC radio in Lincolnshire is provided by BBC Radio Lincolnshire and, in the north, by BBC Radio Humberside. Commercial radio options include Greatest Hits Radio Yorkshire, Heart East, Hits Radio East Yorkshire & North Lincolnshire, Hits Radio Lincolnshire, Capital Yorkshire (in the north), and Smooth East Midlands. Community radio stations include Endeavour FM in Boston, TMCR 95.3 covering Epworth and the Isle of Axholme, and LCR 103.6 in Lincoln.

Military

Main article: Royal Air Force

Lincolnshire’s flat landscape and low population made it a good place for airfields. During the Second World War, the area had many air bases. Today, the Royal Air Force still uses important bases in Lincolnshire, including RAF Coningsby for fighter jets and RAF Waddington for special aircraft. The famous Red Arrows aerobatic team is also based here.

The Army has bases such as Sobraon Barracks and Prince William of Gloucester Barracks in Lincolnshire. Some changes to these sites are planned for the future.