Bringing Greyfriars back to life
Work has started on bringing Lincoln’s 13th Century Greyfriars back into public use.
City of Lincoln Council and Heritage Lincolnshire announced back in October 2022 that the necessary £3m in funding had been secured for the iconic building.
It is set to welcome visitors again in late 2025 thanks to the successful funding bid from The National Lottery Heritage Fund and partner organisations. Works will create a fully accessible multi-functional space for weddings, conferences, and education.
Dating back to 1230 Greyfriars is believed to be the oldest surviving Franciscan friary building in the country, having served the community in various roles over the centuries including as a Free School, a Jersey knitting and spinning school, a house of correction, a Mechanics Institute and the county museum.
Funders for this £3.032 million project, include The National Heritage Lottery Fund, the Be Lincoln Town Deal Fund, City of Lincoln Council, Heritage Lincolnshire, Pilgrim Trust and Garfield Weston Foundation.
Cllr Joshua Wells, Portfolio Holder for Inclusive Economic Growth at City of Lincoln Council, said: “I am very pleased that the necessary funds from the National Lottery Heritage Fund have been secured to bring the Greyfriars building back into use, and that the construction phase has begun. The building is so steeped in history and culture, and it will become an even more unique and treasured asset to the city once made more accessible for visitors.”
Tracy Stringfellow, Chief Executive at Heritage Lincolnshire added: “I am incredibly excited to start the next stage of this project at the iconic Greyfriars. A tremendous amount of work has been going on behind the scenes, with City of Lincoln colleagues we have been working closely with the Heritage Fund to bring about appointment of our construction partner, Alan Staley Building Contractors Ltd. We can’t wait to see work progress and for Greyfriars to begin serving the community once again.”