The City of Lincoln Council is asking the public to comment on its plans to conserve, manage and reinterpret the city's vast Roman heritage.
One of Britain’s oldest cities, Lincoln is home to an incredible 27 visible surviving monuments that stand as testimony to its role as a Roman military and civic centre.
However, many of the sites are inaccessible to the public or require conservation and the council has drawn up a draft plan to ensure the city’s past is maintained for future generations.
"Lincoln is extremely fortunate to have 27 visible Roman monuments which is a tremendous cultural and tourism resource," said Portfolio Holder for Regeneration and Tourism, Cllr Neil Murray.
"The opening of the new City and County Museum will become a signpost to the city’s Roman heritage and it is now vital that we both look after and imaginatively interpret our Roman monuments. The Conservation Plan plays an important part in that process."
From Newport Arch, which is still used by traffic today, to a section of wall in a supermarket, the city offers some of the best opportunities to experience Roman archaeology in the country.
The Conservation Plan is intended to ensure Lincoln’s Roman monuments are properly appraised and their significance assessed and recorded, in order to inform their future management, conservation and development.
Jason Wood, who put the draft plan together on behalf of the council, told the 24 Hour Museum that in preparing the document 400 people were consulted from school children, to business people and visitors.
"It has been a very interesting exercise," he said, "and one which is not only important for Lincoln, but for the way heritage sites in this country are to be assessed and more formally integrated into social and economic significance, rather than just cultural."
Among the issues raised in the plan is the current condition of monuments, which are deteriorating as a result of climatic and human activity, as well as previous conservation and repair work.
It also looks into issues of ownership and maintenance responsibilities and how sites can be made more accessible both physically and in terms of signage and interpretation.
"The City of Lincoln Council recognises the contribution these monuments make to Lincoln’s special historic character and identity, as well as to tourism and to education," added Director of Development and Environmental Services for Lincoln City Council, Mr. Keith Laidler.
"It also acknowledges that there is a need to protect and enhance the monuments and their settings, and to improve public access and presentation."
The closing date for consultation responses is March 1 and copies of the plan are available at Lincoln City Hall, Greyfriars, Lincolnshire Library, Cornhill Tourist Information Centre.
