Meet Hastings: Lincoln’s free-to-see five-metre dragon

A five-metre-tall dragon is now perched above Lincoln Castle’s Heritage Skills Centre. Lincolnshire County Council announced Hastings’ arrival on 25 August 2026 at the castle on Castle Hill, Lincoln LN1 3AA.

Visitors can see the sculpture from the castle grounds, where entry is normally free except on event days. Families, young explorers and visitors interested in Norman history are the clearest audience for the new attraction.

Hastings joins Lincoln Castle’s two other dragons

Hastings is the third and largest mythical beast installed at Lincoln Castle. He joins Lucy, who arrived at Cobb Hall in 2022, and fellow dragon Norman.

The new sculpture sits on top of the Heritage Skills Centre. The council says the best viewing point is the driveway on the lawn, allowing visitors to see the dragon keeping watch over the grounds.

The growing collection has led to the monument being affectionately described as the “castle of dragons”. Kim Vickers, culture service manager at Lincolnshire County Council, said installing a five-metre sculpture inside an ancient monument presented challenges, but that Hastings was now ready to meet visitors.

A dragon shaped by Lincoln’s Norman story

Hastings takes his name from the Battle of Hastings in 1066, which changed the course of English history. Lincoln Castle was built two years later, in 1068, as William the Conqueror sought to secure his reign.

The sculpture also draws inspiration from the mythical creatures depicted throughout the Bayeux Tapestry. Its arrival forms part of “Bayeux Around Britain, supported by WorldQuant”, a nationwide British Museum programme exploring the tapestry’s story and significance.

The programme accompanies the tapestry’s return to the UK for a British Museum exhibition scheduled to begin in the month after Hastings’ unveiling. At Lincoln Castle, the dragon provides a visual link between that national programme and the Norman origins of the site beneath it.

Councillor Natalie Oliver, Lincolnshire County Council’s executive member for children’s services and culture, said the castle’s existing dragons had proved popular and described Hastings as a way for young visitors to encounter the county’s connection to the Norman Conquest.

Free grounds access and the ticketed castle experience

Seeing Hastings from the grounds does not usually require a ticket, although the free-entry arrangement does not apply on event days. A castle day ticket or annual pass is required for the wider visitor experience.

That ticketed experience includes one of four surviving original copies of the 1215 Magna Carta, the Victorian Prison and access to views from the medieval walls.

The Weekend at the Asylum Steampunk Festival is due to take place at the castle from 28 to 31 August. Visitors planning to see Hastings during those dates should check the applicable event-day entry arrangements before travelling.

No fixed exhibition time or end date has been announced for Hastings, and the council notice did not provide dedicated transport or accessibility details. Current tickets and event-day entry requirements can be checked through Lincoln Castle’s official website before a visit.

Source: Lincolnshire County Council