Spring 10 - Lincoln Field Trip

Lincoln Field Trip

by Nathan Winklepleck

History. Reading. Papers. Projects. Presentations. While it is a lot of work, the British Studies program gives you a deep appreciation of the places that you will be visiting. You will discover the historical significance of the sights and who the people in the pictures are. The purpose behind it is to make your Harlaxton experience more meaningful and it does the trick! A part of the British Studies program is mandatory field trips to various places throughout England. You go to them as you study their significance in class. It’s pretty neat getting to actually physically see and touch the things you are studying. It gives you a tangible object to think about rather than just words on a page and words in a lecture.

The first British Studies field trip of the year was to Lincoln. I’ll try to spare you most of the historical jargon, but its roots go all the way back to the Roman Empire in the 1st century. There isn’t a whole lot left from that era, just remnants of walls and postholes where the way-older-than-dirt Roman colonia (settlement for retired soldiers) once stood. Our tour guides (British Studies professors) showed us around, pointing out things here and there with historical significance. It was neat getting to hear about the history while we were actually getting to see whatever it was. It made it more real. Whether or not that will help on the test is still up for debate!

Just like, seemingly, every other city, Lincoln has a cathedral. The cathedrals are impressive structures to say the least. They were built that way on purpose to convey to the 11th-century people (often poor peasants) how small they were and how powerful their masters were. I cannot imagine how those peasants would have felt way back then coming from their tiny little shacks into the cathedral. Even today, in the age of skyscrapers and multi-million dollar houses, the cathedrals demand amazement at their massive, intricate, breathtaking beauty. The effect still hits home: God is big, we are small and insignificant.

Another stop on our field trip was Lincoln Castle. The castle was built by William the Conqueror in 1068, two years after the Norman Conquest. The castle was also used as a prison and location for executions. Our tour guide guided us through the cells and into the showcase for Magna Carta (it was a copy, the real deal was in the U.S.), which is not something you get to see every day!

Overall, it was an interesting and informative trip. We had to walk around in the cold rain a lot, but other than that it was pretty solid! Later on in the semester, we’ll be going to London, Southwell Workhouse, Nottingham, and taking a look at the history behind the Harlaxton manor.
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