Encyclopædia Britannica, Ninth Edition/Lincoln (1.)

LINCOLN, one of the four eastern maritime counties of England, lies between 52° 39′ and 53° 43′ N. lat., and 0° 22′ E. and 0° 56′ W. long. It is bounded on the N. by the Humber, E. by the German Ocean and the Wash, S.E. for 3 miles by Norfolk, S. by Cambridge and Northampton, S.W. by Rutland, W. by Leicestershire and Notts, and N.W. by Yorkshire. Its greatest length north and south, from Barton-on-Humber to Market Deeping, is 75 miles, its greatest breadth, from Wroot on the west to Saltfleet on the east, is 50 miles, its circuit about 260 miles. Its area is 1,767,962 acres, or about 2762 square miles, making it the second largest county in England.

Coast-Line.&mdash;The coast-line, about 110 miles in length, is low and marshy, and artificial banks for guarding against the inroads of the sea are to be found, in places, all along the coast. From Grimsby to Skegness traces of a submarine forest are visible; but while the sea is encroaching upon some parts of the coast it is receding from others, as shown by Holbeach, which is now 6 miles from the sea. Several thousand acres have been reclaimed from this part of the Wash, and round the mouth of the Nene on the south-east. The deep bay between the coasts of Lincolnshire and Norfolk, called the Wash, is full of dangerous sandbanks and silt; the navigable portion, off the Lincolnshire coast, is known as the Boston deeps. The rapidity of the tides in this inlet, and the lowness of its shores, which are generally indistinct on account of mist from a moderate offing, render this the most difficult portion of the navigation of the east coast of England.

Surface and Geology. &mdash; The surface of Lincolnshire is generally a large plain, some portions of which are below the level of the sea. The south-east parts are perfectly flat; and about one-third of the county consists of fens and marshes, intersected in all directions by artificial drains, called locally dykes, delphs, drains, becks, leams, and eaux. This flat surface is, however, broken by two ranges of calcareous hills running north and south through the county, and known as the Cliff and the Wolds. The former range, on the west, runs nearly due north from Grantham to Lincoln, and thence to the Humber, traversing the Heaths of Lincolnshire, which were formerly open moors, rabbit warrens, and sheep walks, but are now enclosed and brought into high cultivation. Parallel with this range on the east side of it runs the old Roman Ermine Street, sometimes called the Cliff Row Road. The Wolds form a ridge of bold hills extending from Spilsby to Barton-on-Humber for about 40 miles, with an average breadth of about 8 miles. Between the Wolds and the sea lie the Marshes, a level tract of rich alluvial soil extending from Barton-on-Humber to Wainfleet, varying in breadth from 5 to 10 miles. Between the Welland and the Nene in the south-east of the county are Gedney Marsh, Holbeach Marsh, Moulton Marsh, and Sutton Marsh.

The Fens, the soil of which has been formed partly by tidal action and partly by the decay of forests, occupy the Isle of Axholme on the north-west, the vale of Ancholme on the north, and most of the country south-east of Lincoln. The chief of these are the Holland, Wildmore, West, and East Fens draining into the Witham; and the Deeping, Bourn, Great Porsand, and Whaplode Fens draining into the Welland. Owing to the dead level of these districts there is perhaps more artificial drainage in Lincolnshire than in any other English county; and this part of the country resembles in many respects, especially in embankments and dykes, the continental Holland.

The general appearance of the county is very pleasing. The level tracts are richly cultivated; the hills and dales are interspersed with wood and lawn; and many spots on the Cliff or Wolds command extensive and charming views. The charms of the Fen districts are described as “a beauty as of the sea, of boundless expanse and freedom” (Kingsley). Not a few passages in the writings of Tennyson (a native of the county) bear the impress of the scenery and colourings of the Fens.

The geological formations, for the most part, extend in parallel belts, nearly in the line of the length of the county, from north to south, and succeed one another, in ascending order, from west to east.

Minerals.&mdash;Gypsum is dug in the Isle of Axholme, whiting is made from the chalk near the shores of the Humber, and lime is made on the Wolds. Freestone is quarried around Ancaster, and good oolite building stone is quarried near Lincoln and other places. Ironstone is found and worked at Claxby near Caistor, and carried into Yorkshire to be smelted; it is also worked at Frodingham, 9 miles north-north-west of Brigg.

Rivers.&mdash;The Humber separates Lincolnshire from Yorkshire. Its ports on the Lincolnshire side are Barton, New

Holland, and Grimsby. The Trent divides the Isle of Axholme from Lindsey, and falls into the Humber about 30 miles below Gainsborough. Like the Severn, it is noted for a tidal phenomenon called the “eager” or bore, which, at spring tides, rises to the height of from 6 to 8 feet. The Witham rises on the south-west border of the county, flows north past Grantham to Lincoln, and thence east and south-east to Boston, after a course of about 80 miles. This river was once noted for its pike. The Welland rises in north-west Northamptonshire, enters the county at Stamford, and, after receiving the Glen, flows through an artificial channel into the Fossdyke Wash. The Nene on the south-east has but a small portion of its course in Lincolnshire; it flows due north through an artificial outfall called the Wisbech Cut.

Canals.&mdash;The principal canals are the Stainforth and Keadby, connecting the Trent with the Yorkshire coal-field; the Louth Navigation, from Louth to Tetney Haven; the Sleaford Navigation, connecting Sleaford with the Witham; and the Grantham Canal, from that town to the Trent at Nottingham. The remainder are chiefly small rivers artificially deepened and embanked.

Climate.&mdash;The climate of the higher grounds is now noted for its salubrity, and meteorological observation does not justify the reputation for cold and damp often given to the county as a whole. The mean annual temperature of the Fens as given by ten years observation (1864-73) is 47º.9, lº.6 below that of Greenwich. The rainfall of the Fen district is very small as compared with other parts of England. While the average of the whole country was little over 30 inches, at Boston the average fall from 1830 to 1849 was 23.58 inches, and from 1850 to 1869 22.08. At Wisbech south-west winds prevail on an average six months in the year, and north-east winds barely two months.

Soil and Agriculture.&mdash;The soils vary considerably, according to the geological formations; ten or twelve different kinds may be found in going across the country from east to west. A good sandy loam is common in the Heath division; a sandy loam with chalk, or a flinty loam on chalk marl, abounds on portions of the Wolds; an argillaceous sand, merging into rich loam, lies on other portions of the Wolds; a black loam and a rich vegetable mould cover most of the Isle of Axholme on the north-west; a well-reclaimed marine marsh, a rich brown loam, and a stiff cold clay variously occupy the low tracts along the Humber, and between the north Wolds and the sea; a peat earth, a deep sandy loam, and a rich soapy blue clay occupy most of the east and south Fens; and an artificial soil, obtained by “warping,” occupies considerable low strips of land along the tidal reaches of the rivers. The wide grazing lands of Lincolnshire have long been famous, and the arable lands are specially adapted for the growth of wheat and beans. There is no generally recognized rotation of crops. The cattle raised are the Shorthorns and improved Lincolnshire breeds. The dairy, except in the vicinity of large towns, receives little attention. The sheep are chiefly of the Lincolnshire and large Leicestershire breeds, and go to the markets of Yorkshire and the metropolis. Lincolnshire has long been famous for a fine breed of horses both for the saddle and draught. Horse fairs are held every year at Horncastle and Lincoln. Large flocks of geese were formerly kept in the Fens, but their number has been diminished since the drainage of these parts. Where a large number of them were bred, nests were constructed for them one above another; they were daily taken down by the gooseherd, driven to the water, and then reinstated in their nests, without a single bird being misplaced. Decoys were once numerous in the undrained state of the Fens.

Manufactures and Trade.&mdash;The manufactures are few and comparatively small. There are, however, some large agricultural machine and steam-engine factories in and around Lincoln; and similar works exist at Boston, Gainsborough, Grantham, and Louth. At Frodingham there are extensive iron-works. At Little Bytham a very hard brick, called the adamantine clinker, is made of the silicious clay that the Romans used for their manufactures of pottery. At Louth there is a carpet manufactory, also several tanneries and iron foundries. Bone crushing, leather working, the manufacture of oil-cake for cattle, rope making, and sack weaving are carried on in various places. The chief ports are Grimsby, Boston, Sutton Bridge, and Gainsborough, the first being by far the most important. For the fisheries of see. .

Railways. &mdash; The first line opened in the county was the Midland Railway to Lincoln, in August 1846. The Manchester, Sheffield, and Lincolnshire Railway, first opened in 1848-49, goes from Lincoln north-east to Market Rasen, and thence, by way of Barnetby and Ulceby junctions, to Grimsby and Cleethorpes. A second branch runs north-east from Gainsborough to New Holland and Barton on the Humber, and a third from Barnetby due west to the Yorkshire coal-fields. The Great Northern main line runs through the south-west of the county past Grantham to Newark, and throws off several branches. A loop line connecting Spalding, Boston, and Lincoln with the direct line from London to York was opened in 1848. The East Lincolnshire Railway (leased to the Great Northern) runs from Boston to Grimsby.

, the capital of the county of that name, is a city and county in itself, and is also a municipal and parliamentary borough. It is picturesquely situated on the summit and south slope of the limestone ridge of the Cliff range of hills which rises from the north bank of the river Witham, at its confluence with the Foss Dyke, to an altitude of 200 feet above the banks of the river. It is 132 miles north-west from London by road, and 138 miles by rail; 53º 15' N. lat., 32' W. long.

Lincoln is one of the most ancient and interesting cities in England. The ancient British town occupied the crown of the hill beyond the Newport or North Gate of the subsequent Roman town, the ancient earthworks and ditches of which are nearly conterminous with the present boundaries of the parish of St John. The Roman town consisted of two parallelograms of unequal length, the first of which extended west from the Newport gate to a point

a little west of the castle keep. The second parallelogram extended clue south from this point down the hill towards the Witham as far as Newland, and thence in a direction due east as far as Broad Street. Returning thence due north, it joined the south-east corner of the first and oldest parallelogram in what was afterwards known as the Minster yard, and terminated its east side upon its junction with the north wall in a line with the Newport gate. This is the oldest part of the town, and is named “above hill.” After the departure of the Romans, the city walls were extended still further in a south direction across the Witham as far as the great bar gate, the south entrance to the High Street of the city; the junction of these walls with the later Roman one was effected immediately behind Broad Street. These three divisions comprise the boundaries of the municipal and parliamentary boroughs, which are conterminous. The “above hill” portion of the city is not well built, but consists of narrow irregular streets, some of which are too steep to admit of being ascended by carriages. The south portion, which is named “below hill,” is much more commodious, and contains the principal shops and inns, with many elegant buildings and private residences. Here also are the Great Northern and Midland Railway stations.

The glory of Lincoln is its noble minster. As a study to the architect and antiquary this stands unrivalled, not only as the earliest purely Gothic building in Europe, but as containing within its compass every variety of style from the simple massive Norman of the west front, to the Late Decorated of the east portion. The building material is the oolite and calcareous stone of Lincoln Heath and Haydor, which has the peculiarity of becoming hardened on the surface when tooled. In former days the cathedral had three spires, all of wood or leaded timber. The spire on the central tower was blown down in 1547. Those on the two western towers, 101 feet high, were removed in 1808; good representations of them will be found in the well-known views by Hollar and Buck. The ground plan of the first church, adopted from that of Rouen, was laid by Bishop Remigius in, and the church was consecrated four days after his death, May 6, ; the central west front and the font are of this period. The approximate dates of the remaining portions of the fabric may be assigned as follows: &mdash; the three west portals and the Norman portion of the west towers above the screen to the top of the third story, about ; the nave, its aisles, and the north and south chapels of the west end, completed upper parts of the north and south wings, with pinnacle turrets, ; the west porch of the main transept, aisles,. The south porch of the presbytery dates . The east window, the finest of its style in England, 57 by 34 feet, dates -. The choir screens date , the Easter sepulchre. The gables and upper parts of the main transept, the parapets of the south side of the nave, south wing, and west front, and the screen in the south aisle, all date from. The upper parts of the west towers date from 1365; their upper stories, the west windows and parapet of the galilee porch, and the chapel screens in the transept, 1450. The vaulted lantern of the central tower is 127 feet above the floor. The main transept has two fine rose windows; the one on the north called the Dean's Eye is 30 feet in diameter. The Bishop's Eye to the south is very fine Decorated (c.1350). The rood screen is mainly c.1340. The other buildings in
 * the Early English portion of the west front, and the
 * the crossing, and lower part of the central tower,
 * the upper part, 1307; the west door of the choir

the close that call for notice are the chapter-house of ten sides, 60 feet diameter, 42 feet high, with a fine vestibule of the se,me height built in 1225, and the library, 104 by 17 feet, which contains a little museum. Among the most famous bishops were St Hugh, who died 1200; Grosseteste, died 1253; Flemrning, died 1431, founder of Lincoln College, Oxford; Smith, died 1521, founder of Brasenose, Oxford; Wake; and Gibson. Every stall has produced a prelate or cardinal; among those who have been capitular members may be named Walter Mapes, Henry of Huntingdon, Polydore Vergil, W. Grocyn, W. Outram, George Herbert, S. Pegge, W. Paley, Cartwright, inventor of the power-loom, and O. Manning the topographer. Lincoln, the enormous diocese of which in early times extended from the Thames to the Humber, was one of the thirteen cathedrals of the old foundation served by secular canons.

(Author:Charles H. Coote)

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