Lincoln and the Magna Carta
8.00am from Northwich Memorial Hall
Other pick-up points available - details and booking conditions here.

This year marks the 800th anniversary of the signing of the Magna Carta by King John at Runnymede on 15 June 1215. Four original copies of the Magna Carta survive - 2 in the British Library, 1 in Salisbury Cathedral, and 1 in Lincoln Castle. The Lincoln copy has been on tour for the past 2 years, including to the USA, whilst a new £22m visitor centre was prepared in Lincoln Castle. The castle re-opens on 1 April 2015.

As well as the new Magna Carta displays, the Castle Walls and Prison have been extensively refurbished, and a new Heritage Skills Centre opened.

Lincoln Cathedral was for almost 300 years the tallest building in the world.Yet, in spite of its size, it is filled with intricate detail. Funny carvings include not just the Imp, but the cat and mouse and so many other little details that brightened the masons’ days. In Lincoln Cathedral the architects of the gothic style perhaps reached the pinnacle of their art. Everywhere you look there is the most intricate detail, walls, roofs elaborated by the finest carving.

Standing almost in the shadow of Lincoln cathedral, with sweeping views over the ancient city and the countryside beyond, the medieval bishops’ palace was once among the most important buildings in the country. The administrative centre of the largest diocese in medieval England, stretching from the Humber to the Thames, its architecture reflected enormous power and wealth.

The Museum of Lincolnshire Life’s rich and varied social history collection reflects and celebrates the culture of Lincolnshire and its people from 1750 to the present day. Exhibits illustrate commercial, domestic, agricultural, industrial and community life.

As the home to an authentic World War One tank named “Flirt”, the museum also houses interactive galleries of the Royal Lincolnshire Regiment, which have won prestigious national awards.

The Collection is an award winning archaeology museum with displays covering the stone, bronze and iron ages, romans, anglo-saxons, vikings and the civil war. Adjacent is the Usher Gallery, region's premier art gallery. The Usher Gallery combines displays from its permanent collections of fine arts, decorative arts and horology, enhanced by loans of acclaimed works from national collections, with a vibrant programme of temporary exhibitions. Includes local scenes by L.S. Lowry, Peter DeWint, J.M.W. Turner and John Carmichael, works by turn of the 20th Century artists such as Jacob Epstein and Ella Curtois and vases by Grayson Perry.

The temporary exhibition is (detail) which features the work of 118 international artists, including David Reed, Fiona Rae, Daniel Sturgis, Neal Rock, Pavel Büchler, Shirley Kaneda and Julie Heffernan, who have each selected a close-up from one of their paintings. These details are printed and displayed together to give both a tantalising glimpse into each artwork, and create a huge collage of images.

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