Lincoln Castle, East Midlands

Civil War broke out in Sussex in 1139 when Matilida’s army landed from France to pursue her claim to her father’s Henry I’s crown. Just before Christmas in 1140 Matilda’s army successfully besieged Lincoln and held the city and the castle. King Stephen then arrived with his army to retake the castle but reinforcements had been sent for and Robert of Gloucester, the illegitimate son of Henry I, arrived with his army to reinforce Matilda’s claim.  

The Battle of Lincoln took place on the 2nd of February 1141.  Robert of Gloucester’s army was poised against King Stephen’s army, on level ground just northwest of the castle. King Stephen was taken prisoner and moved to Bristol.  Soon afterwards Robert himself was also captured and an exchange was negotiated, soon afterwards the war resumed.  Three years later, King Stephen was again besieging Lincoln Castle, where he attempted to bring down its tower by tunneling beneath the walls of the castle.  The intention was to create a bonfire underneath the ground fuelled by lime and dead pigs.  Unfortunately the tunnelling itself caused a collapse and killed 80 of the miners.  The disaster brought an end to the siege.  

In 1146 King Stephen tried another method of taking the castle when he invited Earl Ranulph to his court for peace talks but instead imprisoned him until he agreed to surrender Lincoln. His subterfuge was successful and the King celebrated Christmas of 1147 at Lincoln Castle. 

An original copy of the Magna Carta is owned by the Cathedral but is on display in Lincoln Castle. 

After the civil war, Cromwell’s soldiers reduced the castle's defences and much of the original castle no longer exists.  At this time the castle walls were also lowered by 6 meters (20 feet). 

The Crown Court building was built in the 1820’s and designed by Sir Robert Smirke.

Read more about Lincoln on the Lincoln Cathedral and Lincoln City pages.