Visitors to historic Lincoln are now able to enjoy a new free admission museum which brings together the county’s premier art gallery - the Usher, built in 1927 - with a new building designed by Panter Hudspith Architects that houses the county’s archaeological collections, temporary exhibition gallery, education space and auditorium. It is exciting, modern and functional in form, and utilises traditional, high-quality materials including bronze and local Lincolnshire limestone. The project includes over £125,000 of new public art commissions.

The displays, designed by Event Communications, feature an archaeology collection containing over 2,000,000 items spanning 300,000 years, and with a wealth of important artefacts from the Iron Age, Roman, Saxon, Viking and Mediaeval periods.  Star items now on show include two Iron Age log boats found along the banks of the River Witham, and a 9m² Roman mosaic unearthed on the site during construction work for the Museum – the largest discovered in Lincolnshire for over a century.

The two buildings, old and new, sit side by side in the centre of the city close to Steep Hill, and enjoy spectacular views of Lincoln Cathedral.  The Collection was the result of years of planning and community lobbying following closure of the former City and County Museum in 1993.  Construction work on the present site commenced in 2003 and it was formally opened in October 2005 by HRH the Duke of Gloucester. It attracted over 40,000 visitors in its first three months of operation. 

The Gallery’s permanent displays - its collections include a wide range of Fine and Decorative Art, including paintings by De Wint, Turner, Piper and Lowry as well as contemporary artists - are complemented by a regular programme of temporary exhibitions. Currently showing is The Charms of Lincolnshire (February-May 2006), an exhibition curated by 2004 Turner Prize Winner, Grayson Perry, inspired by objects from the County collections which feature alongside his own work.

The £12.5 million project was funded by the Heritage Lottery Fund (£5.5m), European Regional Development Fund (£3.3m), East Midlands Development Agency (£1.5m), Lincoln City Council and Lincolnshire County Council (£2m) and private fundraising (£0.2m).

Visitor Comment: “Wonderful experience, will come again – travelled over 200 miles”

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