Professor David Sleight reflects on keeping historical and community knowledge at the forefront

Lincoln is about to commemorate a diary full of historical anniversaries that will put us at the centre of national and international attention. The 800^th anniversary of Magna Carta comes to focus in the Castle’s new visitor centre next year; the Cathedral’s Chapter House will help celebrate the 750^th anniversary of de Montfort’s first Parliament by recalling the Parliament’s held here; and in 2017 we will remember the Charters of the Forest, and the Battle of Lincoln Fair – one of the most important moments in British military history when the King’s forces drove the French back down through the city, across the Witham, turning the water red with the blood of those fleeing!

This city and county have been centres of international pilgrimage for centuries. Pilgrimage is a word associated with religion, it is about people making a journey of enlightenment and discovery to show respect and learn through their quest.  

That treasure to be discovered is buried deep in our history, and gives us a vital calling card in attracting the national and international attention of visitors. It is more than boosting tourism. We welcome the benefits that growth in tourism will bring, and our hoteliers, tour guides, visitor information helpers, taxi and bus drivers will all play a vital role, but as we know 70% of visitors to Lincolnshire stay with family and friends – will you be ready to help too?

Local and Community History Month takes place in May with the aim of increasing awareness, promoting history and encouraging all members of the community to get engaged. This is a vital moment to share and learn all we can so that we can all be advocates and guides for those coming to the county. Passion and pride in our history is infectious, and engaged visitors lead to more engaged visitors because they go home and comment on their excellent experiences. The internet has become a powerful tool for reviews and recommendations.

So, how do we keep our historical and community knowledge at the forefront? Of course there are the education offerings, at the University we launched a highly successful MA in Mediaeval Studies, and in the first year one student came from America because of the access to Cathedral and Diocesan experts and archives that programme provides! At the community level we have accessible public history – for example the Survey of Lincoln booklets have gone down a storm, short illustrated chapters telling fascinating stories about our city – we learnt a while ago one U3A group from the cliff villages use them as a walking tour guide to the city!

What about joining or supporting one of our many groups or societies? These are full of interested people with a ready welcome: Society for Lincolnshire History and Archaeology, Lincoln Record Society, Historic Lincoln Trust, or the new City of Lincoln Historical Association – and joining one of the many heritage open days hosted by organisations such as the Heritage Trust for Lincolnshire. No previous knowledge is required, just an enquiring mind!

And of course, what about visiting the records that are held for us safely for all time by the team at Lincolnshire Archives – they do a really vital job preserving the documents and artefacts that help us connect to how our forebears lived in times recent and past. Their open days and volunteer sessions bring the community together to help keep this vital knowledge alive, and that’s the key – if we engage together with our own history then we truly will walk the streets of Lincoln, and travel the roads of Lincolnshire, able to advocate for and enhance Lincolnshire’s vital place in national and international appreciation of our place in history.  

Professor David Sleight is the Dean for Public Engagement at the University of Lincoln, and a trustee of the Historic Lincoln Trust.