Geograph - photograph every grid square

Lincoln Castle was built by the Normans in the 11th Century as a military centre and was involved in various battles up to the end of the Civil War and then the restoration of the monarchy in 1660. It was used as a prison until the 1870s, with Georgian and Victorian brick buildings. It still contains a court house, the present building dating from 1826. There has been a major redevelopment and restoration, finished in April 2015. It is now possible to walk the complete circuit of the walls, with a new lift and staircase for access. Visitors can view inside the prison. The Lincoln copies of Magna Carta and the Charter of the Forest are in a new vault in the prison. There is a new Heritage Skills Centre, a low grass-roofed building by the court house.