BY JACK WATSON
For the price of a herd of cows in the Medieval period (£12), you can step back 500 years and explore centuries of medieval and modern history, unique features, and breathtaking architecture at the Old Hall in Gainsborough. This is one of the best preserved medieval manor houses in England.
During a short trip over the Humber, my grandparents and I had the pleasure of discovering a quaint and picturesque medieval manor house, which has been standing tall since its creation during the War of the Roses in the 15th-century.
Built by Sir Thomas Burgh–a wealthy soldier and diplomat who served multiple kings–this historical building contains a great hall, various chambers, an ancient and unique kitchen, religious and spiritual features, and a tower. At the top? A fine view of Gainsborough town and across the river Trent to North Nottinghamshire.
The hall has hosted royalty. Visitors included King Richard III in 1483 and Henry VIII with his fifth wife, Katherine Howard in 1509 and 1541. It was in this hall where Howard was accused of wrongdoing, earning herself a ticket to the headsman. The house was sold shortly afterwards in 1596 to the Hickmans who were strong supporters of the Puritans.
It became a place of worship, as the family allowed puritans–including John Smyth and Thomas Helwys–to hold church services in the hall. The Hickmans continued to be important in Gainsborough, with some becoming members of Parliament. It became deserted some years later in 1720 when the family moved out.
In the late 18th-century, the hall was transformed into a theatre for some years, providing entertainment for the locals. It then became a place for workshops and homes for the poor. After volunteers and local councils helped restore the hall, it is now a tourist site now managed by the English Heritage charity
The timber-framed manor was huge and stretched out far. It has two storeys, with preserved wings which you can freely explore. The medieval kitchen is open to inspection, with antique cooking objects on display. There are many rooms and chambers for both the servants and important residents of the house. The main room is still set-up with a four poster bed, ancient fireplace and many ecclesiastical artworks. The upstairs space was once home to a hotel. Our eyes were well and truly opened by the vast amounts of history we uncovered.
And, if you time your visit well (every Sunday at 1pm), you’ll catch one of Rick’s hilarious and captivating medieval graffiti tours. The tour takes around two hours, but every moment is worth it. You will be rewarded with discovering a plethora of hidden graffiti and marks on the walls which are nods to royalty, protection from evil spirits and storms, and stonemason marks from the creation of the building, dating back from the very beginning.
Rick, who works for English Heritage will keep you laughing and on your toes with questions throughout. It also uncovers facts and features which, if left to explore freely, you would never have discovered. Look out for the many ‘witch marks’ made by scorching wood and leaving flame-shaped burns on wood. One notable piece of graffiti proclaims the Catholic faith as being the truth. Presumably a less than generous dig at the Puritan hosted by a Catholic visitor. Rick maintained our attention with the promise of some large phallic symbols and curses, to be revealed at the end of the tour.
If it is time for lunch, the Clock House Gastrobar, a pleasant pub nearby, serves succulent meals and great beer including countryside hero Jeremy Clarkson’s Hawkstone beer and cider. Their in-house butchery prepares locally sourced British products. It has everything to re-fuel and refresh you after a few hours in the hall.
The Gainsborough Old Hall is home to many features from different periods of history. There are also a variety of activities, free of charge, which will help you delve further into the significance of the place. If you ever find yourself in Lincolnshire, do take a detour to Gainsborough’s Old Hall.
Jack Watson is a 17 year-old student in Year 12. You can read his Substack about following Hull City FC here. Follow him on X here.