My grandparents did not have a great deal to do with the worshipping life of the cathedral, but no one who lived in Lincoln could be unaware of its mighty presence, towering over the whole city. These days, if you want to climb the towers of the cathedral, you have to take a guided tour, and be one of a limited number taken up there. When my mother lived in Lincoln, the doors to the towers were not locked, and anyone was at liberty to climb them whenever they chose, just as Emily does in my book. My grandfather, therefore, used to take a delight in conducting people up the great tower just before midday, so that they would be there when ‘Great Tom’ struck twelve!

My grandfather worked as a draughtsman at Ruston and Hornsby engineering works, and at one time, Ruston’s was involved with some work involving the maintenance of the cathedral. I remember my mother telling me that Grandma was very angry on one occasion because Grandpa went home and told her that he had climbed one of the towers on the outside, by way of the scaffolding!

One of the most enjoyable aspects of writing this book was conducting the research. I have paid a number of visits to Lincoln Cathedral, and bombarded its willing volunteers with questions, all of which they answered courteously and as informatively as they could. I have climbed both the central tower (there are 327 steps) and one of the west towers. On a good day, the views are quite spectacular. On a poor day, it’s still worth the climb. When Emily and Sir Gareth climbed the towers, the experience would have been a little different, for ‘Great Tom’ did not hang in the central tower until some years after the book takes place.

I have tried to be accurate in my descriptions of Lincoln cathedral. The effect of the light shining through the stained glass onto the stonework, for example, is certainly spectacular; and of course, the imp gazes down mischievously, as he has done for centuries. I wonder what tales he could tell?

Much though I love the Georgian period, I have to admit that modern conveniences do have their advantages. Unlike Emily, I had the delight of being able to see the cathedral floodlit, and the views revealed as I walked around it, and saw the light play on the stone and cast different shadows, were quite spectacular.

The White Hart in Lincoln is a very old inn, and it was certainly in existence when Mrs Hughes, her long-suffering companion and her cousin stayed in Lincoln. I was made very welcome and comfortable when I stayed there for a night whilst I was researching for this book, and the staff were very helpful.

Lincoln Castle is also very well worth a visit, and the views of the cathedral from its ramparts are quite spectacular. Steep Hill is precisely that – an exceedingly steep hill, and I have walked up and down it several times, although I have never dared take it at a run, as one of the characters does in ‘Lady of Lincoln.’ There are several book shops on this street, among them the one that is situated in the Jews Court. This has lots of very useful local history books. The Jews Court is also the Headquarters for the Society for Lincolnshire History and Archaeology. The members of this society were tirelessly patient with all my nit-picking enquiries, and I’m very grateful to them.

One of the difficulties in writing about a real place is that towns change and develop over the years, and the names of roads also change. If, therefore, you wonder which road Sir Gareth is using when he rides down ‘New Road,’ you will need to chart the route of Lindum Road on a modern map.

My characters make a visit to Gainsborough, where they have a meal at ‘The White Hart’. This inn, like its namesake in Lincoln, is also a real place, although not quite so old. Gainsborough Old Hall is open to visitors, and is in rather better condition than when Mrs Trimmer and her party paid it a visit. The audio guide is very interesting and informative.