When most people think of King Arthur, images of round tables, chivalric knights clad in armour and the sorcerer Merlin spring to mind. Unfortunately, this couldn’t be further from the truth.
In reality, Arthur was a dark age warlord, fighting to expel Germanic invaders in the aftermath of the Romans leaving Britain in 410 A.D. He was also, as I will now explain, someone potentially with a big link to Lincoln.
In the wake of the Roman departure from Britain, the island was a place of constant warfare. The fourth and fifth centuries had been full of upheaval with the migration of Germanic groups across Europe, and this was also the case in Britain (though likely some of these groups had been settled here prior to the Roman departure).
By the middle of the fifth century, Britain was a land divided amongst many small or ‘petty’ kingdoms, with the Germanic people of the Angles, Saxons and Jutes controlling much of the east and south, and the Britons controlling the west and the north of the island.
The area of modern north Lincolnshire was in this period known as the Kingdom of Lindsey. This small kingdom, ruled by the Angles, featured kings such as Winta, Cretta, and the wonderfully named Bubba. The name Lindsey itself meant ‘Isle of Lincoln’ and encompassed the area between the rivers Trent and Witham, the Foss Dyke and the North Sea.
The kingdom was believed to be centred in Lincoln, and was surrounded by the Mercians in the west and Deira in the north, in what is now East Yorkshire, and the East Angles to the south, in modern East Anglia and Cambridgeshire.
How though, does Arthur fit into this picture? The earliest records for Arthur are the 10th century Welsh chronicles and ‘The History of the Britons’ by Nennius. In his work, Nennius ascribes twelve famous victories to Arthur, with the final being the famous Battle of Badon (Bath). Interestingly, the second through fifth were fought near the river called Dubglas (black water) in the region of Linnuis. Historians have debated where ‘Linnuis’ may be, with places in Scotland and Lancashire suggested, but the most obvious translation of the place is ‘Lindsey’.
Geoffrey of Monmouth, the author of the 12th century ‘History of the Kings of Britain,’ who introduced the classic depictions of Arthur: the chivalric king with his Knights of the Round Table, also places the battles at Lincoln and gives further details into why they occurred. According to Geoffrey, Arthur, upon coming to power, vowed to retake the Saxon stronghold of York for the Britons. As he marched north with his forces, he was intercepted by the King of Deira, a man named Colgrin, at Lincoln.
Geoffrey’s account of the circumstances of these battles is interesting. Lindsey, as I have mentioned, was a small, ‘petty’ Anglian kingdom. What is little known of the kingdom is that it quickly fell under the domination of its neighbours, namely the Mercians and the Deirians, giving an air of truth to the account.
Lincoln also stood on the important Roman route north, Ermine Street, meaning it would be of great strategic importance to both the Germanic kings and those trying to separate their forces and defeat them (namely Arthur).
It also raises the possibility of a continuing presence of Arthur in the Lincoln area. Nennius notes twelve famous victories for Arthur. If ‘Linnuis’ is Lincoln, then four of his victories were in the area around the city. This would mean the Britons must have gained and lost control of the area numerous times, resulting in the need for Arthur and his forces to remain in the area.
While all of these historical accounts are uncertain and can probably never be truly verified, it is exciting to think that Lincolnshire, and more specifically Lincoln, potentially played a key part in the creation of one of the most enduring and beloved stories in the world, that of King Arthur.
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Cory Santos is a postgraduate researcher at the University of Lincoln who specialises in the social history of Britain during the Second World War. Besides his main research focuses, he also enjoys local history and the interesting tales it often turns up.
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There have been 88 new coronavirus cases in Greater Lincolnshire and one COVID-related death on Monday as restrictions eased across the UK as part of the PM’s roadmap out of lockdown.
The government’s COVID-19 dashboard on April 12 recorded 58 new cases in Lincolnshire, 16 in North East Lincolnshire and 14 in North Lincolnshire.
On Monday, one death was recorded in Lincolnshire and none in Northern Lincolnshire. This figure includes deaths both in and out of hospitals, as well as residents in hospitals outside the county.
NHS England reported no changes to the hospital death figures across the region, which still stands at 1,300 from a week ago.
Nationally, cases increased by 3,568 to 4,373,343, while deaths rose by 13 to 127,100.
In local news, North Kesteven has the most over 50s vaccinated with the first dose of a COVID-19 jab in Lincolnshire, whereas Boston has the least.
However, South Kesteven has the most 18 to 49 year olds vaccinated in Greater Lincolnshire with Lincoln having the least, according to research by Sky News.
There were 398 coronavirus cases in Greater Lincolnshire and 10 COVID-related deaths last week — a 43% drop in cases and 23% fewer deaths compared to the previous week.
Hundreds of people queued outside Debenhams and at several barbers and salons in the city as Lincoln, and the rest of England, entered the next stage of the roadmap out of coronavirus lockdown on Monday, April 12. The pubs and bars had a good day too.
The latest rules allow for the retail sector to fully reopen its doors for customers again, two weeks after the previous lockdown easing on March 29 which resumed outdoor socialising for up to six people – see the list of rules here.
Coronavirus data for Greater Lincolnshire on Monday, April 12
Greater Lincolnshire includes Lincolnshire and the unitary authorities of North and North East (Northern) Lincolnshire.
58,722 cases (up 88)
40,909 in Lincolnshire (up 58)
9,226 in North Lincolnshire (up 14)
8,587 in North East Lincolnshire (up 16)
2,182 deaths (up one)
1,610 from Lincolnshire (up one)
304 from North Lincolnshire (no change)
268 from North East Lincolnshire (no change)
of which 1,300 hospital deaths (no change)
808 at United Lincolnshire Hospitals Trust (no change)
41 at Lincolnshire Community Health Service hospitals (no change)
1 at Lincolnshire Partnership Foundation Trust (no change)
450 in Northern Lincolnshire (NLAG) (no change)
4,373,343 UK cases, 127,100 deaths
DATA SOURCE — FIGURES CORRECT AT THE TIME OF THE LATEST UPDATE. POSTCODE DATA INCLUDES DEATHS NOT IN HEALTHCARE FACILITIES OR IN HOSPITALS OUTSIDE AUTHORITY BOUNDARIES.
Beer gardens in Lincoln have already started to fill up as pubs and bars were allowed to reopen to serve customers outside from Monday, April 12.
Restaurants are also allowed to reopen to serve customers outside as part of the government’s roadmap out of lockdown, while indoor service is currently scheduled to be permitted from May 17.
The Lion & Snake and Prince of Wales were particularly busy in Uphill Lincoln on Monday, while student bar The Towers had a long queue of people outside during the afternoon.
Soaking in the sunshine in the Bailgate at the Prince of Wales and Lion & Snake. | Photo: Steve Smailes for The Lincolnite
The queue at the student bar – The Towers – on Monday afternoon. | Photo: The Lincolnite
Students enjoying their drinks at The Towers. | Photo: The Lincolnite
The beer garden at The Towers was very busy. | Photo: The Lincolnite
The Nosey Parker, Craft and The Royal William IV were also among the bars to reopen in Lincoln on Monday – see the full list here.
The Nosey Parker welcomes back punters on April 12. | Photo: Steve Smailes for The Lincolnite
Socially distanced drinks in the beer garden at the Nosey Parker. | Photo: Steve Smailes for The Lincolnite
Ronnie Byrne, Duty Manager at Nosey Parker, said: “It’s good to be back! The snow last night had us a bit concerned. A snow day after six months off would’ve been a bit of a downer, wouldn’t it?
“But thankfully, the sun is out, the drinks are flowing, and we’ve been able to welcome back our amazing guests. They’ve stood by us through this whole chaotic time, and we couldn’t be happier to have them back!”
Good to be back! Craft on Lincoln High Street has a spacious beer garden to welcome customers. | Photo: Steve Smailes for The Lincolnite
David Nejrup, Operations Manager at Craft, said: “We are delighted to be taking the first step back to ‘normal’. It’s been great to welcome guests into our garden.
“We are now counting down the days to May 17 when hopefully we’ll be allowed to welcome our guests back inside the venue.”
James Dolan is Operations Director at Ever So Sensible Restaurants. They run The Royal William IV and Horse & Groom on Brayford Wharf North, The Duke William in the Bailgate and Ferry Boat in Washingborough, which are all now back open.
Customers enjoying a pint outside by the Brayford at The Royal William IV.
He said: “Our teams have been really busy making sure the pubs are safe and ready to reopen, and we’ve even had the chance to make some improvements, deep cleaning, redecorating, adding new seating, and additional covered areas ready to make people smile when they visit us again.
“We are super excited to see all of our lovely customers again, especially our much loved regulars that are part of the family. This most recent lockdown has been the longest and toughest for everyone, which made us a bit nervous about reopening, but as we’ve got stuck in to getting the pubs ready we’ve really enjoyed being back at work.
“We’ve rediscovered our sense of purpose, and our love for serving amazing food & drink whilst making people happy. Today (Monday) has been brilliant seeing all those smiling faces again (even if they are hidden behind a mask), it has really reminded us why we love our industry so much.”