September 17, 2018 4.54 pm This story is over 66 months old

Group looks to restore Boston’s Shodfriars Hall

New lease of life for historic building
Shodfriars Hall. Photo: Richard Croft

Plans to return a 14th century Boston building to its former glory, including using it as a multi-purpose centre, could see the historic location used for theatre shows and heritage tours.

A group of directors from Blackfriars Theatre have submitted the change of use plans for Shodfriars Hall on South Street, ahead of a viability study to be carried out later this year.

Trustee Rob Barclay said some parts of the building date back to the 1300s, and at the rear of the building is a Victorian theatre from the 19th Century.

The group decided to invest in Shodfriars Hall last year after the price decreased significantly, however, the future of the building hinges on the viability study.

Trustee Rob Barclay, with MP for Boston Matt Warman inside the hall. Photo: Matt Warman

Rob Barclay said: “The hope is to create a multi-purpose centre and would mean a lot of renovation work.

“The hope would be very much to complement Blackfriars Theatre rather than compete with it.”

He said the idea would be to bring the building back into use for the local community, including a project information centre and coffee shop on the ground floor, from which history and heritage tours could take place.

Although the ‘huge project’, which could run until 2025, began with Blackfriars members, a separate charity is planned to be set up to oversee the project.

Earlier this year the group transformed one of the units into an ice cream parlour, which they have been using during the warmer weather to raise some funds.

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