English Heritage

Gainsborough Old Hall is an imposing mansion largely built during the later 15th century.

Developed into a fashionable Jacobean residence, the Hall subsequently fell on hard times. Parts of the hall served as a raucous theatre. Others were made into crammed tenements. It was even used as a pub.

In the mid-20th century, local volunteers raised funds to restore Gainsborough Old Hall. It remains a much-loved community hub to this day.

There’s lots to see at Gainsborough today. Highlights include the magnificent medieval great hall, the domestic apartments and the finest medieval kitchen complex anywhere in England.

Climb Gainsborough Old Hall’s tower for views over the town and the river Trent, then take a break in the tearoom in the 15th-century parlour.