I’ve recently been away from my London home teaching in Lincoln four days a week. My schedule meant that I regularly have free afternoons, so one sunny day I picked up a city guide from my B&B and headed out.
I happen to be quite nosy and curious about my surroundings, but even if you’re not, there’s nothing quite like finding out a little about where you happen to be. For example, some of Lincoln’s Roman history appears above ground as the bases of columns that were once part of a grand colonnade along Bailgate, in the city’s Uphill area. Below ground, it pops up as the heads of underground water wells and storage for provisions, often beneath private houses.
In the lower parts of the city, Brayford Pool, now the home of some of the University’s faculty buildings, was once England’s fourth most important port, despite being 40 miles from the sea!
So go on, turn off your computer, pick up a map or guide for your area and get out!