Lindum Colonia Archaeological Site

Address: Central Lincoln (historic Lindum area), Lincoln, UK

Lindum Colonia was the Roman town on the site of modern Lincoln in eastern England, the administrative and residential settlement established on a former military site. It is the Roman predecessor to the medieval and modern city and is often referenced in archaeological studies of Roman Britain.

Remains visible in and beneath Lincoln include stretches of Roman wall, buried foundations and a well-preserved city gate known as Newport Arch, which dates to the Roman period and stands within the modern street plan. Archaeological finds from the site include pottery, building stone and small objects recovered in urban excavations.

The settlement began as a military fortification and developed into a civilian colonia under Roman administration, serving as a local administrative and commercial centre. Over centuries the Roman town was succeeded by medieval developments that reused and built over Roman structures, with later excavations revealing the earlier urban layout.

The Roman remains occupy the historic core of Lincoln on Castle Hill and the Bailgate area overlooking the River Witham, immediately adjacent to Lincoln Cathedral and Lincoln Castle in Lincolnshire.

• Surviving Roman gate: Newport Arch survives as a visible Roman gateway within the modern city and is a focal point for locating the Roman town plan.
• Museum collections: Numerous Roman finds from the site are held at the city’s museum, providing the best place to view artefacts from Lindum.

What to See#

• Newport Arch: A Roman-era city gate located on the southern approach to the historic core; it is one of the few surviving Roman gateways in Britain and retains visible masonry and an archway.
• Roman wall and foundations: Fragments of Roman defensive walls, foundations and buried remains concentrated around the Bailgate and Castle Hill that mark the footprint of the Roman town.
• The Collection (city museum): Local museum in Lincoln that holds Roman artefacts recovered from excavations in the city, including pottery, inscriptions and small finds.

Lincoln is reachable by regular rail services from Sheffield, Nottingham and other regional centres; the city centre and Roman sites are a short walk from the station.

• Combine visits to Lindum's Roman remains with a walk up Steep Hill for medieval Lincoln and the cathedral views.
• Visit the local museum and interpretive panels in the city to see artefacts recovered from Lindum Colonia.