The Great (or New) Hall, Lincoln's Inn. Philip Hardwick, with Philip Charles Hardwick. 1843-45. London, WC2. Photograph and caption by Jacqueline Banerjee, 2009.
On the west of Chancery Lane, near the Law Society and right behind the Royal Courts of Justice, Lincoln's Inn is one of the four London Inns of Court, along with Gray's Inn, Middle Temple and Inner Temple. Its oldest surviving building is the late-fifteenth-century Old Hall (see "History of Lincoln's Inn Fields"), so the Hardwicks' hall is known as New Hall despite its crenellations, diapering, mullions and generally picturesque appearance. Lincoln's Inn Library is a matching building in the same complex, at the northern end of the Great Hall. This was extended eastwards in 1871-2 by Sir George Gilbert Scott. As James Stevens Curl explains, "Tudor Gothic seems to have found favour for use in educational buildings, workhouses, almshouses and the like" (87n.). The Great Hall is is a particularly fine example of the style, arguably the most impressive in the capital. It is also noted for its timber-beamed and panelled interior.
Other Views and Related Material
- Interior of Hall during a "Royal Breakfast" attended by the Queen (Illustrated London News, 1 November 1845)
- South end of the Great Hall
- Close-up of Philip Hardwick's initials, and the date of this part of the building
- Lincoln's Inn Library, at the northern end of the Great Hall
- Other end of Library, facing Lincoln's Inn Fields
- Descriptions of fog in Bleak House
- (Lincoln's Inn site) Virtual tour of the Great Hall
References
Curl, James Stevens. Victorian Architecture. Newton Abbot: David & Charles, 1990.
History of Lincoln's Inn Fields (Camden Council site). Viewed 28 October 2009.
Last modified 28 October 2009