48 hours in Lincoln with kids

It’s the most important English battle that you’ve probably never heard of. Forget 1066 and the Normans – if it wasn’t for royal victory in 1217 at the Battle of Lincoln, we could all be speaking French today. Something to ponder as I set off to spend 48 hours in Lincoln with kids.

review visit*

And 800 years on, the historic city is celebrating that battle with this summer’s Lincoln Knights Trail, a recent multimillion pound renovation of the castle, the Magna Carta and Domesday book on display, and plenty of activities and events which make it a perfect family weekend break.

Armed with a sword (foam) and pen to note down a string of knightly clues on our quest around the city, we set off to discover just what bad King John had been up to this time – and to see if we could find the Lincoln Imp…[EDIT:The Knights trail has now ended but there are various trails to follow around the city, as well as other temporary sculpture trails from time to time]

48 hours in Lincoln with kids: Day one

The day dawned bright, and the cathedral bells were ringing. Pausing only to grab our sword, flags were fluttering in the blue sky as we approached the castle, its formidable wooden door closed stoutly against any intruders.

Fortunately that gave us the chance to tick off the first four knights – and a bonus extra one – on our trail map, finding and deciphering the clues hidden in the green shields on the brightly coloured sculptures before the castle gates opened for the day.

And to catch up on a bit of history… Infuriated as King John attempted to ignore and generally weasel out of the pledges made in Magna Carta, the barons had given up hope of him keeping his promises – and decided the only solution was to get a new king.

Having invited the French Prince Louis to take his place, the country was plunged into civil war… at which point King John promptly died, leaving his nine-year-old son Henry to take the throne.

Backed by veteran warrior William Marshal and many of the barons who’d now switched sides to take a chance on this untried new young king, all that remained was to defeat the remaining rebels, oust the French and for the victorious soldiers to pillage the city in what came to be known as the ‘Lincoln Fair’

800 years on, it’s not anywhere near as hard to penetrate the fortress walls, even if 13th century castellan, Nicola de la Haye still oversees events.

Then she was one of the rare few women to take charge of a castle, holding it for the king; now a rather more approachable statue outside the gates, one of 37 uniquely decorated creations to mark Lincoln’s anniversary year and raise money for charity.

Inside, those Angevin knights would have had something of a shock if they were to stride through today.

A Victorian prison sits in the centre of the castle green – along with what must be the best located crown court in the country – while two historic documents at the heart of events are now housed in a high-tech underground vault.

One of four surviving copies of the Magna Carta, and one of only two copies of the 1217 Charter of the Forest are on display – the only place you can see both together – currently joined by the Domesday Book, the record of life commissioned by William the Conqueror.

After being fascinated by the introductory video, I’m not convinced Minnie quite appreciated how significant they still are: contemplating a book that’s survived over 900 years, and a document which helped shape history for centuries left me awed, trying to explain it to a four-year-old with a shaky concept of time was tricky. She looked suitably impressed though.

But that’s only the start. Among the interactive displays in the old prison is the chance to dress up, as well as several activity backpacks to play with – Minnie announced herself matron, thanks to the ‘baby’ contained within that pack, before we headed off to discover what life was like here over the centuries, from the times of public hangings to housing debtors and the reform of prisons.

It’s done well, so there’s enough that’s hands on for little ones and lots of detail for me.

Characters from the First World War were also making appearances, illuminating this more recent history through their stories, while Minnie also got to try her hand at making a mosaic.

But our favourite? Walking the castle walls: so much so that we did it twice. Part of the major renovation work which finished two years ago, it’s now possible to walk the whole way around, looking out onto the city and across the rooftops – there’s a free audioguide, with an option for children, which helped bring the long centuries of history to life.

Between scampering from number to number and sharing some of her favourite snippets, Minnie was engrossed.

Time to spare? Follow the Battle of Lincoln trail through the city, which is also home to Roman remains including Newport Arch, the oldest arch in the UK still used by traffic. Or head to the free Museum of Lincolnshire Life, just north of the castle.

Five hours later, having found ice cream in the cafe and rolled happily down the grassy hill (her, not me), we finally emerged through the gates once more to hunt down a few knights and use our joint entrance ticket to investigate the cathedral opposite.

Constructed in the 11th century, as was the castle, it has survived earthquake, storm and war – and if the legend is to be believed, imps as well, with one frozen in stone as an eternal punishment from a vengeful angel.

For more great family days out, check out my pick of the best UK castles with kids

From carvings to gargoyles, the rest of the building is intricately detailed: one touchable display inside shows blocks of stone and the chisels which would have been used to produce the impressive results.

Need to eat? As well as many of the major chains, from Pizza Express to Wagamama, check out the award-winning Burton Road Chippy near the Cathedral Quarter for fish and chips (including kids’ portions) or the Wig & Mitre pub on Steep Hill, which also has a children’s menu. If you have a buggy, it’s worth bearing in mind that Steep Hill lives up to its name.

Visiting Lincoln with kids: Where to sleep

Behind the Roman east gate, looking onto Lincoln cathedral, the Lincoln Hotel is in the heart of the historic city – in five minutes you can be at the castle gates or wandering down Steep Hill to The Collection museum and waterfront.

Welcomed by a Baron sculpture from a previous trail and staff who don’t flinch at sword-wielding mini guests, we discovered flaky pastry treats in our room, with its ultra-comfy double and single bed, and some great local sausages for breakfast. Rested and refuelled, we were ready to take on the city once more…

48 hours in Lincoln with kids: Day two

Day two in Lincoln – and the quest continues… to find the rest of the knights dotted around the city.

With their bright colours, quirky details and often well-concealed clues, it’s a great way to persuade a four-year-old to wander without getting bored and to discover the city along the way, through the old streets, down Steep Hill, past shops and historic buildings and eventually to the river, via a narrow entrance near M&S which Minnie dubbed the ‘secret steps’.

In the end, we were victorious. Well, we missed one, failed to find one and spotted another from the water – but with a little ingenuity, we worked out the final clues of the message.

And such glorious exploits and valiant exploring deserves reward… in our case, a cruise on the Brayford Belle from the waterfront out past houseboats and fishermen into the countryside, Lincoln Cathedral still dominating the skyline – even if it no longer glories in the title of tallest building in the world.

I couldn’t help thinking that some of the fields must have looked very similar during the city’s wool-making heyday, when its cloth became so famous that even Robin Hood was wore Lincoln Green.

More recently, the flat countryside has been home to RAF bases and engineering centres, responsible for the first tanks – a far cry from the peaceful scenes we were gazing at.

And a very far cry from the days when Lincolnshire was home to dinosaurs, when plesiosaurs swam through the ocean covering the land.

At The Lincoln museum (formerly called The Collection), we spotted one before taking a journey through half a million years of human life in the area, from the Stone Age to the Civil War.

With dressing up, interactive games like making your own mythical beast from medieval illustrations, and plenty to discover about life over the centuries, it’s a fun place for kids to explore.

Need to eat? The cafe has a great kids’ menu as well as fresh food and some great cakes for adults, not to mention colouring. [EDIT: Stokes at the Collection cafe which we visited has since closed but The Muse coffee bar has now opened]

Thanks to a little confusion, we found ourselves exploring without the museum’s digital iguides but between those and the activity backpacks from the Play area, it would be easy to while away hours getting hands on. Who knew just how heavy a medieval knight’s helm and shield really was?

And while our visit started with one king, we ended with some of its queens, in the special Battles & Dynasties exhibition currently showing.

Royal portraits of Elizabeth I, Victoria and Elizabeth II are on display, along with sketches of Anne Boleyn, Mary Tudor’s book of hours and Mary Queen of Scots’ death warrant, among historic manuscripts, beautiful illustrations and several viciously hefty swords, at least one of which was taller than Minnie.

Aimed more at adults and older children than a four-year-old armed with a magnifying glass and most fascinated by seeing a real throne, it shouldn’t be missed, however quickly you have to dash through this unique collection, its exhibits brought together for the first time here.

Because even if you only have 48 hours, it’s no battle to discover 800 years of history in Lincoln.

For more ideas of days out in the UK with kids, check out my round-up of our best, as well as Roman history around the UK

PIN FOR LATER: 48 HOURS IN LINCOLN WITH KIDS

Disclosure: My visit, stay, entrance tickets and activities were courtesy of Visit Lincoln. All opinions and inability to find knight 14 are my own.

Images copyright MummyTravels

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