Lincoln High Street - Part 2

 

Vermiculated rustication on HSBC bank

Leaving St. Benedict’s Square to continue my day out in Lincoln, my next stop was the Grade I Listed High Bridge, where there has been a crossing of the River Witham at least since the Roman occupation in the 1st century AD.

High Bridge viewed from the east.

The first stone bridge, dating to c.1160, has been extended and altered several times, with the black and white timber framed building that occupies its west side being built in 1540. The stone vaulting on the underside of this bridge is only accessible by boat, with the name Glory Hole given to this narrow section of the waterway by boaters.

 

The passage to the Glory Hole on High Bridge

On this occasion, I was interested in the east side of the bridge, which was added in 1763 when a C13 chapel on the bridge was removed. Built in gritty Upper Carboniferous sandstone, with a lattice like parapet, the corner piers are decorated with a very unusual style of rustication.

 

A rusticated pier on High Bridge

Reaching the junction with Guildhall Street, the ground floor of  the Grade II Listed HSBC bank provides an excellent example of the use of the sandy variety of the Permian Cadeby Formation known as Red Mansfield stone.

 

The HSBC bank

Built in 1848, the ground floor was remodelled in 1883 for the Lincoln & Lindsey Bank and the vermiculated rustication used here is the finest that I have seen during my exploration of historic buildings during the past 40 years.

 

A detail of the plinth at the HSBC bank

 

Together with White Mansfield stone, which I once spent a few months cutting along with Ancaster stone, Red Mansfield was once very popular with Victorian architects – with this stone being sent to London, Leeds, Dublin and many other cities in the British Isles.

 

Permian sandstone used after removal of a nigh safe

Both of these stones are no longer available, with no good matching alternatives available from the UK, which presents a potential problem for restoration. The stone here is still in very good condition and has not needed repair; however, where an old night safe has been removed on the north elevation, it can be seen that the bright red Permian desert sandstone used for infilling the void has quite a different colour and texture.

 

Fine stone carving in Ancaster stone

On the corner opposite the HSBC bank, an unlisted building, which is built in red brick with Ancaster stone dressings, has a two storey oriel window that is very finely carved with a crest, foliage, bunches of grapes and birds.

 

A detail of fine stone carving in Ancaster stone