Lincoln: Castle Villa, Drury Lane 2011-12-11

Gateway composed of medieval fragments from the Priory of St Catherine, a Gilbertine house outside the southern entrance to the town, and Lincoln's largest monastic house prior to its dissolution. Nothing remained above ground on the site of the priory by the later C19, but the pieces were unearthed during building works in 1876 as the growing town expanded over the site. Finds also included a coffin containing a perfect skeleton "which was immediately destroyed in a spirit of wanton mischief by the workman". A photograph published in 1904 shows the stones in their present location; the accompanying article describes the house as "formerly occupied by Mr Thomas Martin" who may have been the same Thomas Martin who was mayor of Lincoln in 1887. The photo shows the ironwork inside the arch but not the gate itself, which certainly looks more modern. [Rev. E. Venables in Archaeological Journal, 33 (1876), pp.188-9; R. E. G. Cole in Associated architectural societies' reports and papers, 27:2 (1904), plate 1 and p.321n; Sir Francis Hill, Victorian Lincoln (1974), p.238]. List description: britishlistedbuildings.co.uk/en-485951-archway-attached-t... .