A tranquil enclave through the ages, Lincoln’s Inn delights event planners with its unique spaces epitomising British elegance. Its charming juxtaposition of old and new showcases the venue’s extensive history in Grade I and II listed buildings with contemporary facilities set within tranquil gardens, first-class service and delectable in-house catering.
The Inn’s oldest surviving building is the Old Hall, which was built around 1490. Used by members of the Inn for moots and feasts, it was here that Sir Thomas More, who joined the Inn in 1496, would have spent much of his professional life.
The Hall has witnessed many events, the most notable being a visit paid to the Inn by Charles II in 1672, an account recorded in the Inn’s ‘Golden book’. The King dined in the Old Hall, along with his brother James, Duke of York, and numerous noblemen and courtiers of the day.
From 1717, the hall was also used as a court by the Master of the Rolls and Court of Chancery, a practice that ended with the opening of the Royal Courts of Justice in 1882. The Hall's most famous use as a court is the opening scene of Charles Dickens' Bleak House; "London. Michaelmas Term lately over, and the Lord Chancellor sitting in Lincoln's Inn Hall".
The Old Hall has undergone various remodelling and additions since 1490, including being almost completely rebuilt in the 1920s. The entire hall was dismantled with great care whilst retaining as much of the original building as possible with some of the replacement panelling carved from sixteenth and seventeenth century oak sourced by the architects. It was reopened in 1928 by Queen Mary.
The Old Hall now represents a wonderful example of beautifully maintained Tudor architecture with original roof timbers, stained glass windows featuring armorial bearings, and Hogarth’s painting of “Paul Before Felix” as well as a decorative wooden screen designed by Inigo Jones in 1624, the first significant English architect in the early modern period.
The perfectly preserved Old Hall has an appealing grandeur creating a desirable setting for intimate dining for up to 120 guests, celebratory receptions for 200 guests and inspiring seminars for 130 delegates.
For information on hosting your event at Lincoln’s Inn, please contact the events team: events@lincolnsinn.org.uk