Monument record MLI91621 - Site of 'John of Gaunt's Palace', Lincoln
Summary
Site of 'John of Gaunt's Palace', a medieval merchant's house probably belonging to the Sutton family
Type and Period (4)
- MERCHANTS HOUSE (Medieval - 1380 AD to 1539 AD?)
- HOUSE (Medieval to Mid 20th Century - 1380 AD to 1963 AD)
- WALL (Medieval - 1200 AD to 1499 AD)
- OVEN ? (Medieval - 1200 AD to 1499 AD)
Protected Status/Designation
Full Description
The building known as 'John of Gaunt's Palace' was probably built by Gaunt's vassal John de Sutton, a wealthy merchant and mayor of Lincoln in 1386. There are several 18th century drawings of the building, and these have allowed a reconstruction of its original form to be suggested. The house was probably constructed in the late 14th century, around 1380, and its form is fairly typical for a wealthy merchant's town house with a hall and services in an axial range to the rear of the street front range which contained the great and privy chambers. This is a less high-status form than the courtyard house, and it is suggested that this was a suitable form for the house of a feudal vassal such as de Sutton. There was also a possible lodgings block to the north of the main street front range, which had the arms of John of Gaunt along with other heraldic shields shown above the doors. It is suggested that this lodging block accommodated John of Gaunt during his visit to Lincoln in 1386. The house was subject to various alterations during the post medieval period, and parts of it had been demolished by the 19th century. It was substantially re-built in 1849, becoming an ‘ordinary-looking stone-built property’ which survived until the 1960s, when it was demolished to make way for a garage extension. One of the hall windows did survive this re-building and was photographed in the 1930s. The large, ornate oriel window from the south wall of the probable great chamber was removed during the 1849 rebuilding and reset in the east gate of Lincoln Castle, where it can still be seen. {1}{2}
A series of stone foundations and walls aligned east-west and north-south were recorded in February 2008, during trial trenching at 116 High Street, Lincoln. It is likely that these relate to 'John of Gaunt's Palace', although it was not possible to determine which elements of the structure they represented. The earliest phase of wall construction may represent an earlier building demolished to make way for the merchant's house in the later 14th century. Pottery of 13th-15th century date was recovered. A feature that has been tentatively identified as a medieval keyhole-shaped oven was seen towards the rear of the plot. {3}{4}
No.117 High Street was a two storey house of brick and stone of about 1700 remodelled in the nineteenth century. It incorporated, at the rear, fragments of a late fourteenth century stone house with a four light window with elaborately decorated transoms. {5}
Sources/Archives (5)
- <1> SLI11894 Article in Serial: Stocker, D.A.. 1999. ‘"A Very Goodly House Longging to Sutton…" A Reconstruction of 'John of Gaunt's Palace', Lincoln’ in Lincolnshire History and Archaeology. Vol 34, pp 5-15.
- <2> SLI1087 Bibliographic Reference: HILL, J.W.F.. 1948. Medieval Lincoln. pp 167-68.
- <3> SLI11892 Report: Allen Archaeological Associates. 2008. 116 High Street, Lincoln. AAA site code: LIHS08.
- <4> SLI11893 Archive: Allen Archaeological Associates. 2008. 116 High Street, Lincoln. LCNCC 2008.28.
- <5> SLI12651 Bibliographic Reference: Royal Commission on the Historical Monuments of England. 1963. Monuments Threatened or Destroyed, A Select List: 1956-1962. p.49.
Map
Location
| Grid reference | Centred SK 9727 7050 (60m by 60m) Estimated from sources |
|---|---|
| Civil Parish | BOULTHAM, LINCOLN, LINCOLNSHIRE |
Related Monuments/Buildings (0)
Related Events/Activities (1)
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External Links (0)
Record last edited
Mar 21 2021 8:35PM
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