Nepedia
Back to Discover
Advanced Reader
🗺️

Lincolnshire

geography Maturity 5-7 Next article →

Lincolnshire is a large ceremonial county in England.

Lincolnshire1832 Map
Lincolnshire1832 Map

It spans two different regions. These are the East Midlands and Yorkshire and the Humber. The county is the second largest in England. It has a very varied geography. This means the land looks different in many places.

Lincsroad
Lincsroad

To the north, the Humber estuary forms a border. This separates Lincolnshire from the East Riding of Yorkshire. To the east, the North Sea provides a long coastline. The south is bordered by Norfolk and Cambridgeshire. To the west, you will find Leicestershire and Nottinghamshire.

Lincolnia nottinghamia Atlas
Lincolnia nottinghamia Atlas

The physical landscape of the county is quite diverse. In the south-east, the land contains part of the Fens. This is a naturally marshy region. Much of this land has been drained for agriculture. Some parts of the Fens are actually below sea level. To the north-east, the Lincolnshire Wolds rise up. These are rolling chalk hills. They are designated as a national landscape.

Lincsfarmland
Lincsfarmland

A wide vale runs north to south through the center. To the west of this vale is the Lincolnshire Edge. This is a long escarpment made of limestone. At the northern end of this edge are the Coversands. This is an area of heathland.

Steep Hill
Steep Hill

Water plays a major role in the county's shape. The River Trent runs along the western edge. It flows north towards the Humber estuary. The River Witham starts in South Witham. It runs for 73 miles through the middle of the county. It eventually empties into the North Sea at The Wash. The Wash is a large area where several rivers meet. These include the Welland, the Nene, and the Great Ouse.

Humber Bridge Sunset Wideshot
Humber Bridge Sunset Wideshot

The coastline stretches from Cleethorpes to Skegness. In the past, the borders were different. Until the early 19th century, there was no land border with Norfolk. A marshy area called the Cross Keys Wash separated them. People could only cross it at low tide.

Sutton Washway
Sutton Washway

Human history in the region is very long. Before the Romans, the Corieltauvi people lived here. They likely spoke Common Brittonic. This was the precursor to modern Welsh and Cornish. After the Romans left, Germanic speakers arrived. Many of these people were Angles. They established the Kingdom of Lindsey in the north. This is why the area was often called "Lindsey."

Lincolnshire flag
Lincolnshire flag

The name Lincolnshire comes from merging Lindsey with the territory of Stamford. In the 11th century, the Domesday Book recorded the area as Lindsey. Later, the county was divided into three parts. These were the Parts of Lindsey, Holland, and Kesteven.

Lincolnshire Admin Counties 1890-1965
Lincolnshire Admin Counties 1890-1965

Lincoln has been a major center for many centuries. The Romans called it Lindum Colonia. In 1072, Lincoln became the center of a diocese. This led to the construction of Lincoln Cathedral. The late Middle Ages were a time of great wealth. This wealth came from the wool trade. It helped fund grand buildings like St Botolph's Church in Boston.

Lincoln Christmas Market and historic centre, aerial 2017 - geograph.org.uk - 5623489
Lincoln Christmas Market and historic centre, aerial 2017 - geograph.org.uk - 5623489

During the Second World War, the flat land was useful. The Royal Air Force used the county as a base. This earned the area the nickname "Bomber County."

Typhoon Landing At RAF Coningsby MOD 45155053
Typhoon Landing At RAF Coningsby MOD 45155053

The county is also the birthplace of Sir Isaac Newton. He was born at Woolsthorpe Manor.

The geology of the land tells a story of ancient seas. Much of Lincolnshire was once under tropical seas. Because of this, many fossils are found there. Most are marine invertebrates. Scientists have also found bones from marine vertebrates. These include the ichthyosaurus and the plesiosaur. The bedrock includes Jurassic limestone near Lincoln. It also includes Cretaceous chalk in the north-east.

Grimsby Town Centre and Station, aerial 2018 - geograph.org.uk - 5916692
Grimsby Town Centre and Station, aerial 2018 - geograph.org.uk - 5916692

The highest point is Wolds Top. It sits at Normanby le Wold.

Today, the county is managed through several layers of government. It is a non-metropolitan county with seven districts. It also includes two unitary authority areas. These are North Lincolnshire and North East Lincolnshire. These two areas are part of the Yorkshire and the Humber region. The rest of the county is in the East Midlands. The different councils work together through a combined authority.

Lincolnshire numbered districts
Lincolnshire numbered districts

This helps them manage the large, rural area together. The county remains a mix of industry and nature. You can see steel works in Scunthorpe.

Scunthorpe Steel Works, aerial 2019 (3) - geograph.org.uk - 6201414
Scunthorpe Steel Works, aerial 2019 (3) - geograph.org.uk - 6201414

You can also find many nature reserves like Donna Nook.

699 words

Where will your curiosity go next?

Keep exploring at your chosen reading level.

🖼️ Images & Media (22)
File:Lincolnshire numbered districts.svg
Lincolnshire numbered districts.svg
File:Lincolnia nottinghamia Atlas.jpg
Lincolnia nottinghamia Atlas.jpg
File:Lincolnshire1832 Map.png
Lincolnshire1832 Map.png
File:Lincolnshire Admin Counties 1890-1965.png
Lincolnshire Admin Counties 1890-1965.png
File:Sutton Washway.jpg
Sutton Washway.jpg
File:Lincolnshire UK parish map (blank).svg
Lincolnshire UK parish map (blank).svg
File:Lincsfarmland.jpg
Lincsfarmland.jpg
File:Humber Bridge Sunset Wideshot.jpg
Humber Bridge Sunset Wideshot.jpg
File:Lincsroad.jpg
Lincsroad.jpg
File:High Street St Martin's, Stamford.jpg
High Street St Martin's, Stamford.jpg
File:Clock Tower, Skegness 1.JPG
Clock Tower, Skegness 1.JPG
File:Steep Hill.jpg
Steep Hill.jpg

+ 10 more

More to explore

🔬 Go deeper

More advanced topics to explore

🪜 Step back

Simpler topics to build understanding

What is Nepedia?

A free, ad-free encyclopedia for children. Every article is written at five reading levels, so the same page works for a five-year-old and a fifteen-year-old — use the level switcher above to see this one change. No account needed to read.