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Lincoln Castle
Lincoln Castle is a significant fort, built by William the Conqueror in 1068 within the remains of a Roman walled fortress. With its commanding position 60m (200ft) above the countryside to the south and west, in what at the time was both one of the country's chief settlements and a vital strategic crossroads, the old Roman fortress offered an ideal strategic location to construct the new castle.
The castle was built in the south-west corner of the upper walled town, the remainder of which continued to be occupied by the town. The Domesday Book entry for Lincoln records that, of the 1,164 residences in the city, 166 were demolished to make way for the castle.
Lincoln Castle is very unusual in having two mottes, the only other surviving example being at Lewes. It is thought that initially a wooden keep was erected, which was later replaced with a much more resilient stone one.
The Roman wall to the south, which stands on the edge of a steep slope, was retained, partially as a curtain wall and partially as a revetment holding the mottes. In the west, where the ground is more level, the Roman wall was buried within an earth rampart and extended upwards to form the Norman castle wall.
Lincoln Castle is one of the best-preserved castles in England. Its use as a prison and law court has continued into modern times, with the Crown Court remaining there to this day. The castle is also open to the public as a museum, where one of only four surviving original copies of the Magna Carta is preserved.
