The little historic city with England's 'prettiest' street full of independent shops

As you inch your way up Lincoln’s famously steep hill, there’s little chance of running out of breath — but quirky shops will have you stopping constantly as you make your way up what has been dubbed Britain’s prettiest street. Bespoke clothing hangs in one window, handmade jewellery glitters in another, and locals bustle around the butchers and cafes.

The little East Midlands city's appeal is far from just shops, though. History is woven through the city, with Lincoln’s Norman cathedral dominating the skyline, and a Roman-era marina lying at the bottom of the city. Linking the two is the Bailgate, the thriving independent hub that separates the historic quarter from the chain stores of the modern high street.

It’s here on Steep Hill that Claire Taylor has run her shop Top to Bottom Accessories for the past 14 years, and due to the thriving shopping scene, she recently expanded to open a dog boutique across the street.

"You've got all of those lovely tourist places to visit, but on the approach up you've got a really good selection of independent shops," she said. "I think after Covid a lot of people really like that."

She believes historic buildings help maintain the independent scene because they are impossible to standardise, like hers, where a chimney breast stands proudly in the centre.

"A lot of our shops are very small and quirky because they're in listed buildings, so the big retailers are not interested in them because they can't do what they want to make them a uniform shop."

Steep Hill was once dubbed "Britain's Great Street" and named "Britain's Best Place" by the Academy of Urbanism in 2012. According to blog Third Eye Traveller, "you'd need a whole day" to explore all of its independent businesses.

"I think the only thing in the Bailgate that is a chain restaurant is Greggs, and that's one of the smallest shops there as well," Paul Risebrow, owner of the Cathedral View Guesthouse, said.

He said the high street thrives year-round due to its strong local community.

"I think one of the charms of the area is that we do get tourists and we get a few, we get a lot... but we're not like a York where we're inundated with tourists, where the shops and the area becomes literally a tourist centre," he explained.

"You know, there's still a community in this cathedral quarter. There are still a couple of butchers," he said. "Those shops, nine out of ten of them don't really rely on tourists in the daytime. They rely on the locals. So, it sort of maintains that local feel."

For Mr Risebrow, the city manages to blend modern life with centuries of history, adding: "If didn't live here, I'd definitely come and visit."

The draw of Lincoln's history is something local architects, Matthew Thomas and Brant Clayton, agree on. Having met at university 20 years ago, they set up the Lincoln Free Walking Tour to share their love of the area with tourists.

"I think if you're a history fan, Lincoln is almost unrivalled in terms of what UK cities have to offer," said Mr Thomas.

"The cathedral, for example, is absolutely stunning. It really crowns the city. You've only got to walk around any corner and there's a really historic building. We're talking Roman remains, Norman remains, the site of major battles."

They share some of Lincoln’s many claims to fame, including a cathedral that was once the world’s tallest building, the country’s oldest driveable arch, the UK’s oldest bridge with buildings still standing, and, more recently, being the birthplace of the tank.

The history is clearly drawing in visitors, and on their three weekly tours, they regularly attract groups of 10 to 20 tourists, although the number can reach 30 during summer.

Mr Thomas said: "We're definitely seeing it becoming an increasingly tourist destination." Mr Clayton added: "I always describe Lincoln as a little bit of a hidden gem, but it's becoming increasingly less so as more people find out about it."

They said that, like many other towns, Lincoln had seen its "fair share" of national chains disappear, but they had seen new shops often move in quickly when one shuts down.

"I think it is thriving," they said. "Especially on a Saturday morning when we often do our tours, all the shoppers are out, all the shops are open and people comment on that. They say they're quite surprised how busy and how many of the shops are open."

However, for them, Lincoln’s success has a lot to thank the university for, bringing plenty of young adults and parents to the region.

"Lots of towns are going through some pretty tough times. And Lincoln's kind of the one shining light in this little part of the world. So it's a stark contrast.

"It's primarily the tourism and the university that create that. I think without either one of those, Lincoln would be in a much more sorry state. But we're very fortunate."