Riseholme has had a place in history for hundreds of years. There are signs of Roman and early English settlements, and the remains of a medieval village, parts of which have been excavated.
The Education Committee approved the purchase of the estate, comprising some 569 acres, in 1946. It was then sanctioned by the Ministry of Agriculture, which was responsible for agricultural education at the time. It was agreed that the estate would be used for the training of ex-servicemen and be run by the County War Agricultural Executive Committee.
In 1987, Riseholme Hall, by now a listed building, was rededicated by the Bishop of Lincoln Robert Hardy, an occasion which marked the completion of a very comprehensive programme of refurbishment.
During 1994, the Lincolnshire College of Agriculture and Horticulture merged with De Montfort University to become its School of Agriculture. In October 2001, the Lincolnshire School of Agriculture transferred to the University of Lincoln. September 2002 marked the closure of the Caythorpe campus, and the relocation of its courses to Riseholme, which entailed building the Rural Science Centre.