Lincoln Crown Court is celebrating 200 years since the first brick of the building was laid with an open day this week. The court, in the grounds of Lincoln Castle, will be celebrating in the only way a court can – with a mock trial and opportunities for visitors to see the cells and jury rooms and ‘even try on a wig and gown’. It is important to get dressed up for special occasions after all.
The court (pictured) may not be the oldest in England, but it can boast of being in one of the more regal surroundings (you cannot get much better than a castle). The building, designed by Sir Robert Smirke who also designed the main block and façade of the British Museum, cost, as Obiter understands it, £40,000 – the equivalent of almost £5m today.
Another interesting mark in the court’s history revolves around a humane advancement for capital punishment in the 19th century. William Marwood developed the ‘long drop’ method which would, the cobbler theorised, be a kinder end to a convict's life. In 1872, William Frederick Horry, convicted at Lincoln of murdering his wife, became the first to be executed with Marwood’s method.
For those in the area who are keen to pay homage to the Crown court on its second centenary, the open day is on Saturday (16 September) from 10am to 3pm and is free to attend.
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