June 16, 2021 9.58 am This story is over 33 months old

St Mary’s Guildhall gets £250k for refurbishment works

Aiming to transform the 12th century building
Work will being to try and conserve one of Lincoln's oldest buildings, St Mary's Guildhall. | Photo: CoLC
By Local Democracy Reporter

Just under a quarter of a million pounds has been awarded to the Lincoln St Mary’s Guildhall refurbishment project, which will bring new life to the historic building.

Grant funding of £249,621 has been given to City of Lincoln Council as part of the High Street Heritage Action Zone scheme.

The works will look to ensure the 12th century building remains structurally secure, as well as enhancing the chances of use in the future.

St Mary’s Guildhall is believed to have been built in 1157, before being sold by Henry III’s butler to the guild of St Mary of Lincoln in 1251.

St Mary’s Guildhall has been described as a “hidden gem” in Lincoln, according to Historic England. | Photo: CoLC

Construction will last the next two years and includes a full re-roofing of the Norman House, repairing timbers and restructuring the roof of Northern Range.

It will progress onto the second phase now, as the first phase of works were deemed as an emergency to focus on urgent structural intervention, to prevent any further damages.

Further works are scheduled for later this year, but no concrete date has been set as of yet.

A survey looking at St Mary’s Guildhall found that a full scope of works was needed to bring the building back into good working order.

Councillor Neil Murray, Portfolio Holder for Economic Growth and Historic Environment Advocate at City of Lincoln Council said: “I am pleased these vital works can go ahead to help bring St Mary’s Guildhall back to its former glory.

“The city’s heritage is a key part of its identity and supports the investment and attraction to the city.

“This scheme aims to maintain, protect and restore historic buildings such as St Mary’s Guildhall and I look forward to seeing this work progress.”