Building work progresses on the Magna Carta Vault

Posted:

The new Magna Carta Vault at Lincoln Castle is starting to take shape!

The next stage in the construction of the new building which will display Lincoln’s Magna Carta and Charter of the Forest is underway. The subterranean vault will, for the first time, provide a permanent and dedicated exhibition space for Magna Carta which reflects its UNESCO-designated status as a Memory of the World document.

In preparation for the new building, the site underwent a major archaeological excavation to a depth of 4 metres which took nine months of delicate work to complete.  The dig uncovered the Victorian and Georgian drainage systems for the prison buildings, and the remains of a medieval stable block. The find of a large fragment of millstone is thought to relate to a documented horse mill in the castle. Further still the excavation worked through the Anglo Scandinavian layers which predate the building of the castle. 

Robert Woodhead Ltd is undertaking the construction work on the castle site for the Lincoln Castle Revealed project, which has also included building the Heritage Skills Centre, skilfully designed by award winning architects Arrol and Snell, to blend into the historic site. Opened in early 2013, the centre was the first new building in the castle grounds for 150 years!

Back