A Walk Up Broadgate in Lincoln

 

A view of Lincoln Cathedral from Broadgate

Leaving the Stonebow, Lincoln High Street continues to follow the route of Ermine Street and passes into the appropriately named Steep Hill – the 4th steepest hill in England with a gradient of 16.12 degrees - before reaching the Cathedral Quarter.

 

A view of St. Swithin's church from Saltergate

Having walked up and down Steep Hill enough times to know how tough this route is on the knees, with no time to peruse the second hand bookshops halfway up while taking a rest, on this occasion I headed east along Saltergate and past St. Swithin’s church to Broadgate.

 

A view of St. Swithin's church from Broadgate

 

This large Grade II* Listed Victorian church, built 1869-1887 in three phrases by James Fowler of Louth, is described by Pevsner as "without doubt his most important church". When living in Lincoln for the second time in 1994 and improving my photographic skills by learning how to use colour transparency film, I went inside it to photograph the Roman altar stone.

 

A foundation stone at St. Swithin's church

With the church being locked due to the COVID-19 Pandemic, I only stopped to note that it is built in Ancaster stone and take a few photos and then had a quick look at the adjacent Grade I Listed Greyfriars, which is the oldest friary building in England and dates back to the C13.

 

A view of Greyfriars from Broadgate

 

The community was expelled in 1538 as part of the Dissolution of the Monasteries and it has been used for many purposes since, including the City and County Museum until this was transferred to The Collection in 2005.

The west elevation of Greyfriars

The building seen today is the remains of the infirmary, dating to c.1230 and it is built in yellowish Lincoln stone, which has developed a light brown patina and is very dirty in places.

 

The south elevation of Greyfriars

 

On its south side, the buttresses and windows were all added in the C19, with further restoration by William Watkins, when the building was restored and converted into a museum in 1907.

 

A C19 window and mediaeval window jambs

I didn’t examine the stonework in detail, but it is interesting to see that the stone used for the C19 windows is very similar, in terms of colour and texture, to the original masonry and, although I don’t know their source, it is quite possible that they came from the same quarry.

 

A view up Broadgate

Crossing over to the east side of Broadgate, from which the best views of Lincoln Cathedral can be obtained, I continued up the hill before stopping to photograph the former Drill Hall, which dates to 1890. Although a red brick building, its castle like design and the Ancaster stone dressings and carved details are quite noteworthy.

 

The former Drill Hall