Vicars Court And Priests Vicars Houses

LINCOLN

SK9771NE MINSTER YARD 1941-1/9/241 (South side) 08/10/53 Vicars' Court, Nos.3 and 3A, Priests' Vicars Houses

GV I

Former priests' vicars lodgings, now 2 houses. Begun late C13 by Bishop Sutton and completed c1309. Altered C15. Reroofed and altered late C17, further altered late C17, C18 and C19. Dressed stone with pantile roof and 2 gable stacks. Chamfered string course and 7 corbels to north front. EXTERIOR: 2 storeys, 6 bays. North front has an off-centre wooden doorcase with overlight, late C18, and to its right, a simpler doorcase, late C20. Irregular fenestration, much restored, with two 2-light pointed arched windows on each floor, and an additional single lancet above. Rear elevation has double chamfered plinth and coped parapet. 2 square garderobe shafts, 3 storeys, with parapets and arched openings, now mostly blocked, in their bases. Between them, a buttress, 2 setoffs, flanked by single buttress stacks. At the east end, a buttress stack and another plain buttress. Fenestration includes 3 arched openings with hoodmoulds, reglazed C19, and to right, flat headed windows, C15, with 3 and 4 lights and hoodmoulds. Above, six 2-light pointed arched windows with hoodmoulds, mostly reglazed, 4 of them with tracery. Return angle to north, forming part of the west range, has to left a renewed 2-light pointed arched window and doorway with hoodmoulds, and to right, a blocked doorway, C14. Above, a restored 2-light pointed arched window, C14. To left, 2 pointed arched loops one above another, the upper one blocked. INTERIOR has a central stone spiral staircase with a round newel below and a chamfered newel above, with chamfered arched doorways. First floor has 2 window seats and fragments of C14 window glass. On the south side, 2 concealed original fireplaces. At the west end, a panelled room, c1670. Remains of original arch braced roof with faceted corbels. This building is the earliest known example of a range of lodgings served by a common stair, in the manner of a University college. (Buildings of England : Lincolnshire: Pevsner N: Lincolnshire: London: 1989-: 489-491; Jones S: The Survey of Ancient Houses in Lincoln: Lincoln: 1987-: 40-62; Report and overall assessment of listable quality: Hewlings R: Secular properties..... in Lincoln Minster Close: London: 1987-).

Listing NGR: SK9784671675