Lincoln’s Inn, the 600 year old home of lawyers in central London is a large cluster of ancient buildings, and they are now offering guided tours of the estate.
(c) Lincoln’s Inn
Visitors are already able to walk around the precincts of the Inn and the Chapel during the week. but the Inn’s buildings are only open for organised tours. They used to offer regular tours, but these stopped in 2016 because of building work, then delays and the pandemic stopped them from restarting, so after a gap of 6 years, tours are available again.
The tour of the Inn will be led by a member of the Inn’s staff and will last around 90 minutes. The estate comprises buildings from all 600 years of the Inn’s history, from late mediaeval to the recent building work. Your guide will explain how this architectural legacy reflects both the continuity of the Inn’s purpose and the changing nature of life at the Bar.
Starting at the late-mediaeval Old Hall, your tour will take in the Chapel (whose foundation stone was laid by the poet John Donne), a late 17th-century London square, a palatial 18th-century set of chambers and the Great Hall complex opened by Queen Victoria in 1845.
The Chapel, Great Hall and Library are on the first-floor level and the tour involves quite a few steps and stairs.
The tours cost £15 per person and take place on alternate Tuesdays at 11am. You can book a tour from here.
Note, if you prefer a look around without a tour, then many areas of the Inn will be open to the public for free on Saturday 17th and Sunday 18th September from 10 am to 4pm as part of the London Open House Festival.
