History

There has been a palace on this site for not much short of 1,000 years. From here the medieval bishops ran the huge Diocese of Lincoln, which at that time stretched from the Humber to the Thames and from Cambridgeshire to the edge of the West Midlands. Medieval buildings and romantic ruins are still in evidence and surround one side of our front courtyard. More ruins from the eastern boundary or our garden.

The building that you see today was built on medieval foundations in three phases. The earliest visible part is a roughly square area built in 1720 forming the South West corner of the palace, at the centre of which is a classical Georgian panelled staircase. Ten years later a low range of panelled rooms was added, running north towards the Cathedral and the building then remained unchanged for a centenary and a half until 1885.

In that year Edward King was appointed Bishop of Lincoln and decided to move the Episcopal seat back into the centre of Lincoln. He chose the site of the Medieval Palace and set about expanding and remodelling the Georgian buildings into his new residence. The exterior of much of the building, including the entrance and most of the garden elevations, date from that time. King also built the fine chapel on top of the kitchen range of the medieval palace. He engaged the renowned ecclesiastical architects Bodley and Garner to design a chapel in typical late 19th century gothic revival style, that built upward from partly ruined lower walls. This chapel is dedicated to the Blessed Trinity and St. Hugh and was consecrated in 1888. Services continue to this day.

In 1948 the Bishop of Lincoln moved to a smaller house on the north side of the Cathedral and the palace went through a number of different phases over successive decades, gradually decaying over the years.

In 2007 a major refurbishment was undertaken to the design of our Chief Executive, Maximilian Manin. The aim was to restore the building in sympathy with its various period interiors, whilst creating a comfortable and elegant environment.

Finally, in July 2009, The Old Palace opened its doors once again, offering luxurious accommodation and sophisticated conference, dining and reception facilities.

The ruins of the Medieval Bishop Palace are managed by English Heritage on a guardianship lease from us. They are open throughout the week for all to enjoy, but are completely separate from The Old Palace itself.

Ann Flinders Collection

The Old Palace also hosts a unique collection of water colours of Australian flora painted by Ann Flinders. Ann was the wife of Matthew Flinders, the Lincolnshire explorer who became the first man to circumnavigate Australia and was one of the most successful explorers and cartographers of Australia in the 18th and 19th centuries.