Gainsborough Old Hall facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Gainsborough Old Hall
Old Hall Tower
OS grid reference	SK8132090012
Built	1471–1484
Architectural style(s)	Tudor
Listed Building – Grade I
Designated	4 April 1964
Reference no.	196291
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Gainsborough Old Hall in Gainsborough, Lincolnshire is a very old and special building. It is over 500 years old! It is one of the best-preserved medieval manor houses in England. A manor house was a large country house, often the home of a lord or wealthy person.

A Home for Important Families

The Burgh Family Builds the Hall

The Old Hall was built by Sir Thomas Burgh around 1460. The Burgh family was very rich and powerful. Gainsborough Old Hall was not just their home. It also showed everyone how important they were.

Sir Thomas Burgh helped the local community. He gave money to Newark Church. He also started a special house in Gainsborough for prayer and helping the poor.

In 1470, the manor was attacked. This happened because of a fight over land and power. Luckily, the hall was not badly damaged. In 1484, a famous guest visited: King Richard III.

Royal Connections and Changes

Sir Thomas Burgh's son, Edward Burgh, 2nd Baron Burgh, became unwell in 1510. He was kept at the Old Hall. He passed away in 1528. His son, also named Thomas, then became the head of the family.

In 1529, Thomas's son, Edward, married Catherine Parr. She later became Queen of England! She was the sixth wife of King Henry VIII. Edward and Catherine lived at Gainsborough Old Hall for a short time. They then moved to their own home in Kirton-in-Lindsey.

King Henry VIII himself visited Gainsborough twice. He came in 1509 and again in 1541. On his second visit, he was with his fifth wife, Queen Catherine Howard. The Queen faced serious accusations during this trip. She was later executed. Catherine Parr, who was a widow by then, later married King Henry VIII.

The Hickman Family and Religious Freedom

The Burgh family eventually sold the Hall. In 1596, it was bought by William Hickman. He was a merchant from London. William made many improvements to the building.

William and his mother, Rose, supported a group called the Separatists. These were people who wanted to worship God in their own way. They were not allowed to do this freely in England. The Hickmans let them meet at the Hall from 1603. Later, this group sailed to the low countries. They went there to find religious freedom. This group helped start the Baptist movement.

The Hickman family stayed important in Gainsborough. Many of them became local Members of Parliament. Later, in the 1700s, Sir Neville Hickman invited John Wesley to preach in the Great Hall several times. John Wesley was a very important religious leader.

In 1720, the Hickman family built a new house nearby. Gainsborough Old Hall then became empty. It was used for different things over the years.

Exploring the Hall's Design

Old Hall Architecture

Gainsborough Old Hall has not changed much over the centuries. It is mostly a timber-framed building. This means its walls are made of wooden beams. The spaces between the beams are filled with plaster or brick. This gives the building a special 'striped' or 'black and white' look.

On the north-east side of the Hall, there is a brick tower. You can climb 59 steps to the top of this tower. From there, you get an amazing view of the town!

The Medieval Kitchen

Today, the Hall still has its beautiful timber roof. It also has a kitchen that might be the most complete medieval kitchen in England. This kitchen has many original features. It has two huge open fireplaces. Each one was big enough to roast an ox! There are also two bread ovens. These ovens were heated by a third chimney.

The Grey Lady Legend

The tower of the Old Hall has a spooky story. People say it is haunted by a ghost called the Grey Lady. The story says she was the daughter of the Lord of the Manor. She fell in love with a poor soldier. They planned to run away together. But her father found out. He locked her in the tower. She was so sad that she died there from a broken heart. Local legend says her spirit still walks the tower. She is always waiting for her lover to arrive.

Gainsborough Old Hall Today

From 1949, a group of volunteers called The Friends of the Old Hall (FOHA) looked after the building. They saved it and opened it to the public for the first time. In 1970, Sir Edmund Bacon gave the Hall to the nation.

Today, English Heritage owns Gainsborough Old Hall. It is open to the public as a museum. It is a Grade I listed building. This means it is a very important historic site. The Friends of the Old Hall group still exists. They provide volunteer guides and help share the Hall's history.

Images for kids

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  Gainsborough Old Hall tower

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  The west wing and great hall

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  The kitchen

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  The Great Hall