LINCOLN'S INN FIELDS.

Press, Volume LXIII, Issue 18922, 10 February 1927, Page 4

LINCOLN'S INN FIELDS.

REBUILDING OLD HALL. Secret doors and wonderful old Tudor brickwork have been discovered at Lincoln's Inn during the rebuilding of tho OH Hall, which dates from at least 1500.

The Black Books of Lincoln's Inn have sparse records of the Old Hall, but experts have discovered that it fell a prey to vandalism of the most appalling description in 1817. Most of the building was covered in stucco and the mouldings of the old stone windows were altered. Other valuable stonework was badly hacked about. In the time of Charles Dickens the building was the Chancellor's Court, and wns described by Dickens' in "Bleak House."

A priceless oak roof was lined with 50 tons of plaster, so that a few months ago tho authorities of the Inn had really no idea of what the original hall looked like. The heavy lining of plaster little by little tended to press tli3 walls outwards, and had not the architect, Sir John Simpson ; taken stringent action there was considerable danger of the whole structure falling down like a pack of cards. The roof, which is fashioned with wonderful beauty, had to be taken down .and strengthened. Unfortunately tho heavy oak on the floor had been covered up for so long that it wns" badly destroyed by beetle. The late Professor Lefroy spent two days investigating tho woodwork before his death, and special scientific methods evolved by him have been used to restore the wood.

The outside stonework will have to be refacecl, and the only way to save the old Tudor brick walls is to take thera done brick by brick and rebuild them. Each brick is being numbered and will be replaced in its original position. -

Enormous work is involved, and it is unlikely that the hall will be reoponed in less than two years. When the work is finished, however, the members of Lincoln's Inn will find that a treasure of most superb nature has been brought to light after being hidden under plaster for over a hundred years.