Lincoln

Two Good Legs Around Lincoln
ePhotozine readers, 'DP' Durlston-Powell and Phil Searby, hobbled around Lincoln on one good leg each to see if there is anything worth visiting for a photographer.

Even at their leisurely pace, the answer was a surprisingly large amount.

Lincoln relies on tourism and so the cathedral area at the top of the hill is well signposted and is a good starting point for any tour. Two large car parks flank the castle walls and £4 gets you an attendant guard for the day. These are popular car parks and fill up by mid morning, but, beings photographers, you'll want to be there early for the best light anyway, so there shouldn't be a problem.

The east gate of Lincoln Castle by Phil Searby.
Just across from car parks is the gaudily painted 'Old Toy Show' with plenty of photo opportunities inside and out; but don't dawdle as much more beckons.

A 'quieter' part of the Old Toy Show's facade by Durlston-Powell.

Follow your nose and other tourists slightly downhill to Castle Square.

Gazing east across Castle Square, towards the cathedral by Phil Searby.

At Castle Square you will have the castle to the west and cathedral to the east.
The two main towers framed by the cathedral's southern doorway by Phil Searby.

The cobbled square has been used in many period dramas and is worth photographing early, before the crowds get in the frame. Both the castle and cathedral charge entrance fees in the region of £5 per adult, but this allows photography (including tripods and photographer friendly staff)

Inside the cathedral by Durlston-Powell.

The only limitations on photography in the 2 buildings are a ban on photographing the Magna Carta in the castle, or the Treasure Room and Library in the cathedral. Even without paying to go inside, good shots can be had of the exteriors of both buildings.

The cathedral's Chapter House in morning sunlight by Phil Searby.

The cathedral tearooms can be accessed from the building's northeast gardens, next to the Tennyson statue.

Tennyson remembered in the cathedral grounds by Phil Searby.

Looking south you can see that the 'old city' is built on the hilltop and the new city runs down the hill and to the low ground. This is a steep hill and Lincolnshire folk, being a creative and humorous bunch, have imaginatively called it 'Steep Hill'. In some places, it exceeds 1:2 and is lined with plenty of period fronted shops selling anything a tourist could ever need from ice creams to ichthyosaurs! Getting a photo that conveys the incline is a real challenge - just avoid bin day, as then, ugly blue rubbish bags abound.

The imaginatively named 'Steep Hill' lives up to its moniker more cthan this photo by Durlston-Powell would suggest!

If you move faster than the pair of us, it could be worth branching off of Steep Hill and seeing the other sights on the hillside. To the west is the Lawns Visitors Centre; a splendid building.

The Lawns Visitor Centre in mid-morning. Go in the late afternoon for better light. Durlston-Powell

The Lawns Visitors Centre has sculptures, tearooms and a kite shop! Just time
your visit for the ends of the day as the column-fronted building faces south
and benefits from low, raking sunlight. To the east of Steep Hill's plummet is
the Usher Art Gallery. They are not photographer friendly inside here, but their
grounds (undergoing renovation during our visit) have many promising photo opportunities.

Warning: sculpture at the Lawn can lead to a splitting
headache. Durlston-Powell.
A modern sculpture in the grounds at the Usher
Gallery by Durlston-Powell.

Once you reach the more modern shops at the bottom of Steep Hill (well, modern in the 1950-60s), it is easy to be fooled in to thinking that you have strayed away from opportunities, but this isn't true. For a start, the pub on your left does a 2 for 1 deal on scampi and chips; a deal that Phil and I leapt upon - unfortunately, this was not extended to their beer as well!

Stone Bow Arch is flanked by shops on the High Street by Durlston-Powell.

The Stone Bow Arch and Guildhall on the High Street, by Anne Summers, is architecturally lovely, but a swine to capture well on film.

Further downhill, the Tudor-fronted High Bridge Café spans the canal and the back of it can be accessed via the enigmatically named 'Glory Hole'.
The High Bridge Cafe - maybe this should have been taken in black and white? Durlston-Powell.

Heading east along the canal takes you towards the Millennium Arch [Lincoln 014]; this sculpture is still getting mixed reviews from the locals, but is a great photo subject. Narrowboats often moor alongside in this area and the area is rife with a burgeoning swan population.

Lincoln likes its sculptures - this is the Millennium Arch. (Durlston-Powell).

Westward along the canal leads you towards Brayford Pool, the Odeon multiplex (a wealth of opportunity) and the chance to capture the hill rising before you, reflected in the pool. This is particularly worth a visit at night.

Brayford Pool is best viewed at night, looking north towards the cathedral on the hilltop by Phil Searby.


However, if you finish while the shops are still open, you should head up the high street to just north of the Stone Bow Arch. Whilst there are a couple of photographic shops there to lighten your wallet for the uphill journey, you should concentrate more on the northern side of the road as a shuttle bus service runs from here all the way back up to Castle Square, saving you the walk and
will be the best 70p you spend on the day!

It's worth trying to capture the sunset against the magnificent cathedral front face (you need a very wide angle lens), or explore the potential of the quaint alleyways on the way back towards the car park.

It's certainly worth stopping by the revealingly named 'The Whisky Shop' (its that Lincolnshire imagination thing again) that is crammed with opportunities - many of them photographic. If this location guide has been any use to you, tell the proprietor (Norman) that you're buying for DP and he'll make sure that a Highland or Speyside wil find its way to me to help combat camera shake.


Specialist shops abound in Lincoln, but this is the author's favourite! (Durlston-Powell).

Lincoln Images

Comments

Leightonhs

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23 Oct 2008 - 11:05 AM

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I'm from Lincoln

There's plenty to photograph here too, a great place for fungi and other nature related work would be Heartsholme Park or Swanholme Lakes. To mention the obvious, Lincoln Cathedral and the castle are hot spots for photographers too and there's plenty of tudor houses dotted about.

-Leighton.

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12 Jan 2010 - 12:28 PM

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MattE89

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12 Jan 2010 - 12:28 PM

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I have been to many parks round lincoln such as the arburetum and all common areas aswell as following the water to botham park, plenty of green spots around and great areas to get a distance photograph of the cathedral.

Bravdo (e2 Member)

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26 May 2010 - 1:09 PM

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I live approx 20 miles from lincoln

There are lots of area's around Lincoln which are good for photography, Donna Nook in winter for Seals, June/July Waddington Air show, amongst other Raf bases for those Aircraft enthusiast. Also plenty of walks within the licolnshire area for great wildlife photography.

Barry

WilliamRoar (Junior Member)

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26 Jun 2010 - 2:32 PM

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Don't forget the backroads! There are some housing estates which could make good moody B&Ws.