We are delighted to have hosted the launch of the Survey of Lincoln’s new publication entitled Learning in Lincoln: A History of the City’s Education Buildings.
The event, on Saturday 30th
November 2024, traced and celebrated the history of the city’s many fascinating school buildings, explored in the book.
Tracy Borman, Professor of Tudor History and Chancellor at Bishop Grosseteste University said: "This fascinating and impeccably researched book shines a light on a hidden part of Lincoln's rich architectural heritage.
"Exploring the city through its education buildings provides an illuminating new perspective on one of the most historic cities in the country."
Such educational establishments have been built over the past two centuries to serve the needs of a variety of students, from children to adult learners.
Chapters in this multi-authored publication explore a wide variety of school buildings, some designed by architects with national reputations, others erected as ‘temporary structures’ that unexpectedly accommodated several generations of schoolchildren. The authors also examine buildings constructed by education providers ranging from the Church of England and Wesleyan Methodists to Roman Catholics and the state.
Further to this, the book also explores how the city has provided for learners beyond school age, from the nineteenth century onwards. Apprentice engineers, trainee office workers, as well as aspiring teachers and members of the clergy have learnt in Lincoln, alongside the students enrolled at the city’s present-day universities and colleges.
The publication has been produced with the support of the Lincoln Record Society and Bishop Grosseteste University. The twenty-six chapters have been written by local historians of the county, and current and former academic staff and students of both the University of Lincoln and BGU.
Professor Andrew Jackson, Executive Dean of Research & Knowledge Exchange at Bishop Grosseteste University, said: “It is a great honour for BGU to be supporting this significant event.
“The University was established as Lincoln Diocesan Teacher Training College in 1862, and the study of education, as well as local history and archaeology, remain key elements of its portfolio.
“The publication includes some chapters drawing on the archive of our university, while many others in the volume consider the histories of local schools and colleges where former BGU students went onto teach.”