Building record MLI90368 - Prison buildings within the grounds of Lincoln Castle, Lincoln

Summary

Prison buildings, including governor's house, chapel and exercise yards, within the grounds of Lincoln Castle.

Type and Period (7)

  • (Post Medieval - 1787 AD to 1900 AD?)
  • (Post Medieval - 1847 AD to 1900 AD?)
  • (Post Medieval - 1847 AD to 1900 AD?)
  • (Post Medieval - 1787 AD to 1900 AD?)
  • (Post Medieval - 1826 AD to 1900 AD?)
  • (Post Medieval to Late 20th Century - 1840 AD? to 1990 AD?)
  • (Post Medieval - 1750 AD? to 1839 AD?)

Protected Status/Designation

Full Description

PRN 70568 The Governor's house, dating from 1787, with the old prison, chapel and exercise yard, dating from 1847. For the full description and the legal address of this listed building please refer to the appropriate List of Buildings of Special Architectural or Historic Interest. {1} A detailed survey of these buildings was carried out in 2004. The buildings which housed the debtor's prison of 1787 and its associated Governor's house still survive and retain some original features although they have been altered on numerous occasions. They were used to house the City Magistrate's Courts during part of the 20th century and now house a café and other facilities for visitors to the castle. The 1847 prison with associated chapel and exercise yard still survives with many surviving original features including some cell doors and furnishings and the enclosed individual box pews and pulpit in the chapel. However, these buildings have also suffered later alterations and removal of features, and were used to house the county archives for part of the 20th century. In recent years the yards in particular have been neglected and used as a storage area for building materials. The mortuary of 1826 also survives, again with later alterations. {2} A trial trench evaluation and borehole survey was carried out in February 2009, within the area of the former Debtor's Yard and the Airing Court (the latter is now used as a stone yard) at Lincoln Castle. Two trenches in the Debtor's Yard revealed a compacted horizon at around 63.60m OD, which was interpreted as ground level subsequent to construction in the 1820s of the Crown Wing and Debtor's Yard. Underlying deposits of made ground were probably formed as part of the same construction activity. Two trenches in the former Airing Yard revealed the buried faces of the Yard's perimeter walls on the north side and at the southwest corner. The face of the northern wall was constructed in limestone blocks with brick above, while at the southwest corner the south wall, in limestone, was abutted by the west wall, which comprised a lower portion in limestone with brick above. The 1840s ground level was estimated to lie at approximately 0.70m below existing ground level in the Stone Yard. {3}{4} During evaluation in the Eastern Courtyard, Lincoln Castle in 2011, a large water cistern and culverts, one of which contained a George III halfpenny dated to 1806, was revealed. Post medieval pottery including black-glazed earthenware, tin glazed stoneware and Lincoln glazed ware was also found in association with these features. The cistern served the Georgian gaol. The stone foundations of the dividing walls in the courtyard were also discovered. The remodelling of the Georgian prison in the Victorian era was also demonstrated during the evaluation by the discovery of a demolished brick wall. Two intersecting sewers and a manhole for the Crown Wing were also found. These date from the 1840s to the 1990s. In various layers during the evaluation, post medieval pottery including Frechen stoneware and glazed red earthenwares and fragments of clay tobacco pipe dating from 1815 to 1851 were also found. {5}{6}

Sources/Archives (6)

  •  Index: Department of Culture, Media and Sport. Dec 1999. Revised List of Buildings of Special Architectural or Historic Interest. 8/63; 269.094-8.
  •  Report: York Archaeological Trust. 2004. The Prison Buildings, Lincoln Castle: A Description and Assessment of the Historical Fabric. -.
  •  Report: Field Archaeology Specialists. 2009. Heritage Skills Centre, Lincoln Castle, Lincoln. Archaeological Evaluation. PYL09.
  •  Archive: Field Archaeology Specialists. 2009. Heritage Skills Centre, Lincoln Castle, Lincoln. Archaeological Evaluation. LCNCC 2009.27.
  •  Report: Field Archaeology Specialists. 2011. Archaeological Evaluation at the Eastern Courtyard, Lincoln Castle, Lincoln. SCL11.
  •  Archive: Field Archaeology Specialists. 2011. Archaeological Evaluation at the Eastern Courtyard, Lincoln Castle, Lincoln. LCNCC 2011.89.

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Location

Grid reference Centred SK 97488 71821 (76m by 68m)
Civil Parish CASTLE, LINCOLN, LINCOLNSHIRE

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Related Events/Activities (4)

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Record last edited

Mar 21 2021 8:35PM

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