Arriving in Lincoln

After my visit to Spalding I drove on to Lincoln where I was staying for a couple of nights. Lincolnshire is well known for being very flat but there is one large hill in Lincoln on which a great cathedral was built in the 11th century. It is the fourth largest in the UK and as I have not seen it before this seems the perfect time to visit. I knew I was staying near the cathedral but I had done no research into my accommodation. I chose it because it was convenient to the old part of the city, had free parking and the price was reasonable. I was also intrigued by its name: 'The Old Palace'.

I put all my faith in my sat nav. However, as I was driving ever closer to the cathedral along cobbled streets full of pedestrians, I felt it was just a matter of time before I was stopped by the police for driving in a pedestrian only area! But no! All of a sudden, down a dead end was a sign saying 'The Old Palace'. The only way in was through a large locked gate. I pressed the buzzer and then had an anxious wait for a few minutes before a young gentlemen arrived to unlock the gates and to show me my parking space.


In front of me was a church. I really had done no research into where I would be laying my head tonight and had no idea it would be a converted church.

I was told that a medieval church had been on this site since 1685 but this present one was built in 1871. However when a larger one was needed to accommodate the boys at Christ's Hospital School, the church was no longer needed by the Diocese of Lincoln and went through a period of change finally becoming a Bed and Breakfast in 2011. There are 16 rooms altogether of a variety of sizes. I had booked a single room but was delighted to find I had been upgraded to a double room on my arrival.

After a short rest and cup of tea I left my cosy room to have a quick look around my surroundings especially the Cathedral which was just a stone's throw away.

It was time for evensong when I walked in so I decided to stay and listen. It was beautiful to just sit back and enjoy the singing of the Cathedral choir. I couldn't have timed it better.

The cathedral was almost empty as I left and I was able to just wander around and absorb the atmosphere.

I left the Cathedral and wandered around the old part of the city. The light was fading and the shops were closing. Day visitors had gone home. It was very, very quiet.

I looked forward to exploring more of the city tomorrow.

This was the street I had driven up to get to the B and B.

View from the Old Palace car park.