This exclusive visit will take participants through over 1,000 years of history, exploring some of the city’s most remarkable heritage sites.
Throughout the day, we will enjoy guided tours of Lincoln Cathedral, the Medieval Bishops’ Palace, the Wonky House and Greyfriars, with time to walk down the historic Steep Hill, one of Lincoln’s most iconic streets.
Participants can choose to attend either the full-day tour or the afternoon-only tour, which includes visits to the Wonky House, a walk down Steep Hill and Greyfriars.
The day begins in the morning at Lincoln Cathedral, one of Europe’s finest Gothic cathedrals and home to over 900 years of history. Led by Nick Cox, Cathedral Architect and founder of Nick Cox Architects, we will enjoy a bespoke tour, hearing about the conservation challenges the Cathedral faces and enjoying a close-up view of their intricate work. As part of this, we are exploring the possibility of accessing the scaffolding surrounding the Chapter House to view the progress of the ongoing conservation project at close quarters; if access can be granted, personal protective equipment (PPE) will be provided for those taking part.
We will then visit the rarely-open Lincoln Medieval Bishops’ Palace, one of the most important surviving medieval episcopal residences in England, where we will learn about its architectural development and its role in the city’s history. The tour will be led by English Heritage, who carried out a major programme of repairs and conservation of the stonework between 2021 and 2023.
After a lunch break, participants will join Heritage Lincolnshire for a tour of two of its current restoration projects. The first is the Wonky House (40-42 Michaelgate), a quirky 16th-century timber-framed building that illustrates both the challenges and rewards of conserving historic structures. From there, we will make our way down the famous Steep Hill, whose medieval character continues to define Lincoln’s historic centre.
Our final visit will be to Greyfriars, one of the oldest surviving Franciscan friaries in England. Heritage Lincolnshire is currently undertaking an extensive programme of conservation and repair to transform the site into a heritage and community venue for events, exhibitions, talks and community activities. This visit will offer a unique opportunity to see the building during its restoration and gain insights into the work being undertaken to secure its future. PPE will be provided for this tour.
