The team behind the Lincoln Castle Revealed project is about to unveil the £22 million job which includes refurbishing 1,000-year-old walls, building a vault to house a surviving copy of the 1215 Magna Carta, and an excavation which unearthed a Saxon sarcophagus.
Just in time to celebrate the 800th anniversary of the signing of the Magna Carta, project partners Woodhead Heritage, architects Arroll & Snell and Lincolnshire County Council are putting the final touches on the castle, which reopens on April 1.
Construction company Woodhead Heritage, as part of Robert Woodhead Ltd, has put in 250,000 operative hours on the project and The Lincolnite were invited for a behind-the-scenes tour with them of the new-look landmark.
On arrival inside the Victorian Prison, where men, women and children as young as eight were held between 1848 and 1878, visitors will step into a visual tale of the site. A 3D projection of eight historic milestones from 1068 is mapped across the room.
Also at the front of the building is the new shop with historic memorabilia and gifts, and the Langton’s cafe, with indoor and outdoor seating overlooking the castle’s six and a half acre grounds.
The prison, with its isolating ‘Separate System’, has been closed of to the public for many years but will now be fully open to visitors with cells furnished to replicate the conditions for inmates with museum-grade props.
“The prison project has been quite challenging when blending the new with the old,” explained Woodhead Heritage Project Manager Jamie Keegans. “We have had to be sympathetic to the area that we are working with and we have had to hand craft elements of the building to replicate the original feature.
“A very specific skills set has been required at times. The person who has been in charge of cast iron repairs for example is one of only a few people in the country with his skill.”
The new David P J Ross Magna Carta Vault is the crowning glory of Lincoln Castle’s £22m restoration. One of the four remaining copies of the 1215 Magna Carta and the 1217 Charter of the Forest will be displayed together in a subterranean room.
Jamie Keegans said: “The construction of the vault is robust. It was built to a four-hour fire protection standard. It also has a detection system which can spot any changes in the environment which would affect the document.
“It has a gas depletion system, which would pump the room with inert gas and deplete the oxygen so a fire won’t ignite.
“It also has very high-security technology build like CCTV and trigger security systems and people sensors.”
On entering the vault, visitors will be met with the Magna Carta text in English, which took four weeks to stencil, and one week to apply gold leaf to the sections which still apply today.
Alongside the vault is a new underground widescreen cinema with 210 degree wraparound screen and 3D sound.
After rebuilding sections of the castle wall, visitors will be able to walk the entire perimeter for the first time.
Behind every stone of the Lincoln Castle experience there lies a story of hard work, skill and historic challenges. Some contractors will even recreate the scene one evening on site where a ghostly horse and cart was seen to charge across the grounds.
During Woodhead’s time on the project, its biggest to date, the firm totted up a huge list of materials:
Tonnes of stone: 325 tonnes of new stone was selected from Lincoln cathedral quarry, where the original Red Bed stone was sourced. Up to 97% of wall fabric is original.
Scaffolding: Complex scaffolding was required to access the walls. All together 213,000 ft. of scaffolding boards were used, as well as 22,337 ft of scaffolding poles, equating to 296 tonnes; 60,500 clippings were also used on the project.
Concrete poured: Over 250 cubic metres was pumped through the grounds of the castle in 28 continuous hours for the Heritage Skills Centre foundation.
Waste removal: The team removed 2,000 tonnes of waste from the site.
Operative hours: (Site Based Trade Operatives) over 250,000 hours.
The reconstruction of the wall also saw a nine tonne Corten steel staircase and lift shaft inserted, giving access to wheelchairs for a section of the wall.
While excavating the foundations of the new lift in 2013, the team discovered an ancient church 3m below the ground. Within the building’s remains lay the skeletons of six adults and three children.
The most important find, however, was a seventh adult skeleton in a stone sarcophagus. Discovered in the wall of the excavation trench, the sarcophagus had lain undisturbed for over 1,000 years.
In it was a complete skeleton with its feet draped in leather fragments from shoes worn at the point of burial. The skeleton is that of an unidentified high status individual as only the wealthy would have been buried in stone sarcophagi.
The Saxon sarcophagus unearthed during the Lincoln Castle excavations. Photo: Lincolnshire County Council
While the Sarcophagus will be on display for member of the public within the prison, tests are still ongoing to determine the story of the skeletons.
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Family-run business Stokes has expanded with a new fast takeaway dining destination next to its iconic Lincoln High Street cafe.
The 120-year-old coffee experts have been serving delicious food and drink to the people of Lincoln for generations now, and as part of its ever-growing plans to keep providing a much-needed service in the city – a new mission has begun.
Stokes To Go – a takeaway premises serving all the Stokes classics – has opened next door to the High Bridge cafe on Lincoln High Street.
A range of tasty food and drinks on sale. | Photo: Stokes Tea & Coffee
It is the only place for miles in the city that can offer the range of top quality menu options that Stokes has on display.
With a modern interior and seating area upstairs, people will be able to sit indoors and take in the scenery while eating their Cornish pasty or drinking their coffee.
Tasty treats for those with a sweet tooth. | Photo: Stokes Tea & Coffee
The store will be open seven days a week, from 8am to 4pm Monday to Saturday and 10am to 4pm on Sundays.
Locally sourced produce will again be at the heart of Stokes To Go, offering fresh baked pastries, breakfast ciabattas, cut sandwiches and Project D doughnuts. Vegetarian options will also be available.
Stokes To Go is hoping to offer a quick service at the same high standards of its cafes. | Photo: Stokes Tea & Coffee
Nick Peel, Managing Director at Stokes Tea & Coffee said: “We’re thrilled to launch the new Stokes To Go store. Customers have been asking us if we would take over the space next door to our High Bridge Café as it’s been empty for some time.
“It’s brilliant to see that the whole iconic building has now been brought back to life and everyone can enjoy it.
“We were conscious that there hasn’t been a lot of choice for customers who prefer locally sourced, top-quality options for their takeaway breakfasts and lunches.
“So, opening Stokes To Go means customers can not only enjoy a unique menu served fast, they don’t have to compromise on quality anymore even when they are short on time.”
A new mobile app has been created as a free digital version of The Little Book of Stamford with a guide to everything you need to know about the Lincolnshire town, including where to shop and places to eat and drink.
What’s on in the town, where to park and more are also included in The Little App of Stamford app. It is free to download from Apple’s App Store and an android version is planned for release on June 1.
The app was created by Stamford Digital in association with #ShopStamford, a hashtag set up five years ago to promote and support the town’s retailers and traders.
The app includes everything you need to know about Stamford, including where to shop, places to eat and drink, what’s on in town, and more.
Tim Baker, who lives in Bourne with his wife and two children, is the founder and managing director of website and app firm Stamford Digital which launched in September 2018.
Tim said: “I picked up The Little Book of Stamford and instantly loved what it stood for and the design. It is a great tool to help visitors and shoppers navigate Stamford, as well as helping local businesses to raise their profile.
“I thought by making the book available digitally through this mobile app, I could help compliment what it aims to achieve.”
The app is a free digital version of The Little Book of Stamford.
Sarah Sewell, who is the chairperson of #ShopStamford and owner of Energy Clothing, added: “The app is going to be a great add-on to the book and map we have already produced. It is yet another platform we can use to promote the wonderful independent businesses we have here in Stamford, so people can discover what we have to offer.”