Lincoln Drill Hall
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| The Drill, Lincoln | |
|---|---|
| Lincoln | |
 Broadgate frontage | |
| Site information | |
| Type | Drill Hall |
| Owner | Lincoln College Group |
| Operator | Lincoln College Group |
| Location | |
  The Drill, Lincoln Location within Lincolnshire | |
| Coordinates | 53°13′47″N 0°32′15″W / 53.2298°N 0.5375°W |
| Site history | |
| Built | 1890 |
| Built for | War Office |
| Architect | Henry Goddard |
| In use | 1890–1999 |
The Drill, previously known as Lincoln Drill Hall,[1] is a former drill hall in Lincoln, England, which is now used as a multi-purpose community hub, hosting live music, comedy shows, pantomimes[2] and live wrestling performances.[3] It is currently under the stewardship of the Lincoln College Group.[4] After being fully refurbished,[5] and renovated, it re-opened to the public on 11 December 2021.[6]
The building was designed by architects Goddard and Son for the 1st Lincolnshire Rifle Volunteers and construction was financed by Joseph Ruston, a former M.P. for the city.[7] It was opened in 1890 and, although purpose-built for military training, community and social events were held in the hall from an early stage.[8] The 1st Lincolnshire Rifle Volunteers evolved to become to 4th Battalion of the Lincolnshire Regiment in 1908.[9] The battalion was mobilised at the drill hall in August 1914 before being deployed to the Western Front.[10] The 4th Battalion was reconstituted after the Second World War and amalgamated with the 6th Battalion to form the 4th/6th Battalion in 1950.[11]
Various forms of entertainment were held at the hall - the most notable performance being a gig by The Rolling Stones on New Year's Eve, 1963; the following day they made their debut on the BBC's Top of the Pops television show.[12][13]
In 1967 the 2nd (Duchess of Gloucester's Own Royal Lincolnshire and Northamptonshire) Company, 5th (Volunteer) Battalion, The Royal Anglian Regiment was formed in Lincoln.[14] The building continued to be used for military training for most of the rest of the century but increasingly fell into disrepair and closed in 1999.[8] However, by public demand it was reopened four years later following a £2.6m refurbishment programme.[8] The principal contractor was local company Lindum Construction.[15] In 2010 the Council passed day-to-day control to the independent Lincoln Arts Trust.[16] The building was managed by the Ruston Hall Trust, a subsidiary charity of the Lincoln Arts Trust[17] until the city council voted to stop its annual grant of £187,000 and it closed in March 2020.[18]
Saved from permanent closure by the Lincoln College Group, the venue was extensively renovated and refurbished in late 2021, reopening in December for a series of pantomime performances.[19] The building (with the adjacent clubhouse) is a Grade II Listed Building.[20]
