Guildhall and Stonebow

The Guildhall and Stonebow, Lincoln, has been the meeting place of Lincoln City Council from Medieval times to the present. The term Stonebow, which is derived from the Danish word stennibogi, indicates a stone archway that visitors entering the city from the south, along the High Street, would have passed through. It is a Grade I listed building. Lincoln City Hall, a 20th century building on Orchard Street, provides further accommodation for the city council.

The first gateway on the site, which formed the southern gateway to the City on Lincoln on Ermine Street, the main road from London to York, was completed in the early 211 AD. The gateway would have become known as the Stonebow, which is derived from the Danish word stennibogi, some time after the Viking invasion of England in the late 8th century. The Guildhall, which had been located in the south east corner of the city, was moved to a new location over the Stonebow in 1237. In 1386 King Richard II presented a sword to city officials who ensured that it was displayed in the building. The Guildhall and Stonebow were demolished in the late 14th century but, due to a shortage of funds, the present building was only completed around 1520.

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