Record shops in Lincoln
What each independent stocks, and who runs it
Lincoln has three independent record shops, and each is worth the trip for something different: new releases, used records and Record Store Day at Back To Mono on Guildhall Street; music memorabilia and signed vinyl at Elliott’s Vinyl Records on Grantham Street; and original and rare pressings at Imagine Records on Newport, past the Roman arch, which will also try to find a specific album for you.
It is a collection, not a ranking. Opening days vary a lot, and two of the three close for at least one weekday, so check the hours on the shop’s own site before a special trip. The directory results use current listed records; the stock and ownership notes below retain their 17 September 2026 research date.
Buying a pressing rather than just an album
Give the artist, album, format and catalogue number when a particular pressing matters. With used vinyl, ask about the record and sleeve separately, whether it has been play-tested, and the shop’s returns policy. An original pressing is not automatically a better listening copy. For a new release, confirm the edition and collection date rather than assuming every shop carries the same allocation.
Browse Lincoln’s books and records for the wider directory, or shops by type if you are combining record browsing with a gift-shopping trip.
What Highstreett returns for “Record shops in Lincoln”
Highstreett lists 3 record shops in Lincoln, 1 of them verified independent. Its search ranks Back To Mono first.
1.Back To Mono
✓ Verified independentWhy it fits A record shop in Lincoln, rated 4.7 from 157 Google reviews.
26 Guildhall Street, LN1 1TR, just off the High Street. The longest-running of the three: it opened in 2009, spent three years in the Mall Shopping Centre, then moved here for more space. It sells new and collectable records, LPs and 45s, plus T-shirts, posters, books and badges, and it takes part in Record Store Day. It has also run a monthly 1960s club night, and it sponsors the Lincoln Record Fair. Its website doesn’t list opening hours, so ring 01522 537988 before a special trip.
- Closed today
- Price ££
- 2.
Elliott's Vinyl Records
Why it fits A record shop in Lincoln, rated 4.7 from 30 Google reviews.
46–48 Grantham Street, LN2 1HW, trading as Elliott’s Framing & Vinyl Records. It began on Lincoln market in the early 2010s and moved into this shop in 2021. Its own site says Frazier and Becky took it over in September 2024. It sells records from the 1960s onwards and music memorabilia: posters, programmes and signed vinyl. It also buys collections. Open 11am to 4pm Monday, Tuesday and Thursday to Saturday, and closed on Wednesday. For Sunday, check its social media.
- Open today 11:00 AM – 4:00 PM
- Price not listed
3.imagine records
Why it fits A record shop in Lincoln, rated 4.8 from 48 Google reviews.
43 Newport, LN1 3DN, about three minutes’ walk north of Newport Arch from Bailgate. It specialises in original, rare and collectable releases on vinyl and CD, mostly used, and keeps its stock fresh by buying people’s unwanted records. It will also try to find a specific album on request. There is free parking outside and dogs are welcome. Its contact page gives the hours as Wednesday to Sunday, 11am to 4pm.
- Closed today
- Price not listed
Also selling records in Lincoln
- HMV, 323 High Street, in the Cornhill Quarter. The chain store, for new releases and chart vinyl. It is not independent: HMV is owned by Sunrise Records, the Canadian retailer that bought it in 2019.
- Oxfam Bookshop, 5 Cornhill. Donated music, vinyl and sheet music alongside the books, with the money going to the charity. Our bookshops guide has more on it.
The Lincoln Record Fair
A record fair started at the Drill Hall on Free School Lane in 2026, sponsored by Back To Mono. The next dates listed are Sunday 1 November 2026, 9am to 3.30pm, and Sunday 17 January 2027. Entry is £3 from 10am, or £6 for early entry at 9am, according to the organiser, VIP Record Fairs.
Worth the drive
Uptown Vinyl Records, inside Baytree Garden Centre at Weston near Spalding, is about an hour south of Lincoln. It says it is the UK’s biggest independent record shop, with more than 200,000 records across four rooms. It opens 10am to 5pm Tuesday to Saturday and 10am to 4pm on Sunday.
Where to go next
To hear the music live, live music and events in Lincoln lists the touring bands coming to the city’s venues.
How this was checked
Each shop was checked on 17 September 2026 against its own website: addresses, stock, history and hours all come from there. We searched Companies House for each business. Only Elliott’s names its owners, on its own site, so it is the only entry with names. The other two are not named because we could not match either to a company with confidence.