Panting relentlessly, eyes peeled for horse deposits and rabbit holes, I clamber up ‘my hill’. Once I reach the peak I turn around and look over the whole of Lincoln, the cathedral more pronounced than ever, the buildings on the Brayford waterfront visible.
This is my favourite view over Lincoln and in my opinion (and I reckon I’m right) the best view of Lincoln other than that provided by say a helicopter… and since Lincoln don’t do helicopter tours I stand my ground and bare my teeth and repeat “the best view of Lincoln”.
I once argued this point with a friend over a bottle of wine and ended up trudging up Steep Hill in pitch black darkness to prove my point. Upon reaching the summit he agreed, and later on as we descended he gained the enjoyment of seeing me fall over in the wet mud…Well, I hope it was wet mud and not a gift from one of the Locals (horses).
Every city should have a viewing platform, it should be a requirement like a Cathedral. After all, what good is a vast lively city if its activities cannot be viewed in totality from above? Paris has the Arc De Triumph (not the Eiffel tower, as you want that in your picture), London has the London Eye, New York has the Empire State Building and even Reykjavik has the Pearl.
Now I know Lincoln is just a teeny weeny bit smaller, but still it has an ethereal beauty that can only be observed from above. The South Common does just that, and has several qualities that make it unique;
- It’s free to explore
- There’s no queuing (unless of course this article creates a mass hysteria for the South Common)
- It’s natural and with that (according to science) a clamber up it will improve your wellbeing, prevent disease and help with recovery (unless of course you’re recovering from a broken leg)
The common sits you above the city, so you feel alien to it and can appreciate its beauty and character before rambling back out of breath an inch or two taller (due to mud cladded shoes), more proud of living in Lincoln than ever.
Alongside the hills and views, Lincoln’s 80 hectare South Common provides plenty of places for the keen picnicker, photographer, dog walker, naturalist, couple who love walking, bachelor who loves walking… and so on and so forth. I made a habit during my second year at university of wandering there on sunny days and sitting aloft a hill reading, often with a Boot’s meal deal to hand.
It has picnic benches, trees to climb, horses to walk slowly and cautiously around (if you have a phobia of horses like me), lakes to listen to, in fact a whole bundle of stuff that’s considerably more interesting than sitting and reading this article… and writing of it in fact is becoming a rushed affair because I want to dash there now and tread on the crisp brown leaves.
If you visit Lincoln then this place is, in my opinion, a must. Once you’re done treading on the cobbled streets of Lincoln and taken a selfie in front of the cathedral, it’s time to get off the beaten Roman path, and explore the South Common.
Hunt the lakes that hide in tree patches, walk amongst the horses, climb the grassy hills and find your favourite viewing spot of Lincoln. I promise you the natural beauty and the sight of Lincoln from atop it is not something you’ll forget in a hurry. Haunted as I am by it, I find myself visiting it frequently to be reminded how wonderful little Lincoln is.
