History and Heritage

Exploring the Past

Utilising a range of exceptional and unique local resources, including the International Bomber Command Centre, Lincoln Cathedral Wren Library, the Tennyson Research Centre, and museums, collections, and archives, our researchers are engaged in the study and interpretation of the past, exploring new ways in which history and heritage can transform lives and communities around the world.

By bringing together and sharing expertise from across the University and beyond, we are able to deliver cutting-edge creative, cultural, and historical research activities that cover a wide range of themes, from medieval studies, conservation, and military history, to heritage management, digitalisation, and the critical interpretation of places and traditions.

Student carrying out some restorative work on an historic object in the laboratory

Research Spotlight

Conserving Our Heritage

The University is home to Lincoln Conservation, a research and consultancy centre specialising in the conservation and restoration of the interior and exterior features of listed and historic buildings. It has worked with high-profile clients, including the National Trust, English Heritage, and the V&A Museum.

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Key Research Groups and Organisations

Medieval depiction of King David playing his harp.

Medieval Studies Research Group

Featuring academics, archivists, librarians, and postdoctoral researchers with interdisciplinary interests in the medieval period.

Nineteenth Century Research Group

Taking an interdisciplinary approach to exploring the history, culture, and literature of the long nineteenth century.

Global and Transregional Studies Research Group

Bringing together a group of scholars who share research interests in international, transregional, and global studies.

Visitor Economy Research Group

Providing a deeper understanding of the visitor economy in areas such as tourism, hospitality, heritage, events, and leisure.

International Bomber Command Centre

The Centre's Digital Archive has collected personal stories of those caught in the bombing during World War Two.

Centre for Conservation and Cultural Heritage Research

Formed to coordinate research activities in conservation, history, and science in relation to the heritage sector.

Female student looking at early printed books in the Wren Library at Lincoln Cathedral

Heritage Archives Network

A forum for those teaching, researching, or working in archives and the heritage sector more broadly.

Critical Heritage and Place Consumption

Critical heritage considers places, pasts, and traditions in contemporary life alongside current concerns about conservation.

Developing Stronger Collaborations

The University of Lincoln has developed strong relationships with the wider scholarly and professional community, including the International Bomber Command Centre, Lincoln Cathedral Library and Archives, the Lincoln Record Society, Royal Historical Society, The Historical Association, Historic England, British Archaeological Association, and the International Society for the Study of Medievalism.

These collaborations and partnerships are helping to strengthen our research community, which continues to offer dynamic approaches to the study of history and heritage, in local, national, and international contexts.

Learning Food Lessons from the Past

To help tackle current global food crises, researchers and practitioners are turning to the past, examining successes and failures of previous interventions in different societies and agricultures to help inform the work of foresight planners and build scenarios for future food sustainability and security.

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'If Books Could Talk'

The ‘If Books Could Talk’ project brought together an interdisciplinary team of artists and researchers to produce a creative response to the Lincoln Cathedral Library’s collection, which featured visual and sound elements, as well as a student-focused workshop exploring how archives can be a vital resource for dramatists, literary scholars, and social historians.

Recent Developments

Lincoln Archaeologist Awarded British Academy Medal

Professor Carenza Lewis has been awarded a British Academy medal in recognition of her distinguished accomplishments in landscape archaeology and lasting impact on the social sciences.

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Historic Partnership Agreement Signed

The Lincolnshire Bomber Command Memorial, which owns and runs the International Bomber Command Trust (IBCC) and the University of Lincoln have entered into a 20-year partnership agreement.

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Lincoln Academic is Honoured by The Society of Apothecaries

Professor Anna Marie Roos, who is a Professor of the History of Science at the University of Lincoln, has received a prestigious honour from the Worshipful Society of Apothecaries in recognition of her work.

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Related Courses

The University of Lincoln offers a number of undergraduate and postgraduate courses that are helping to strengthen our research in History and Heritage.