Broadgate, Built on Roman Foundations

Broadgate is one of the main south to north routes through Lincoln and is one of the more recent important roads of Lincoln.  The road is believed to have been built on the line of the Roman east wall and ditch of the lower city, probably in the 16th century, to relieve the traffic in the narrow streets east of the High Street.  Until the Reformation, most of the west side of Broadgate was the Grey Friars priory.

The above drawing from 1784 shows the north end of Broadgate, the road straight ahead is Clasketgate with the Cask Gate on the right, the gate was pulled down in 1785. 

Above is an image of the Blackfriary which was on the east side of Broadgate between Monks Road and Unity Square; it was taken down in 1828.

Broadgate terminates at Magpie Square, just north of the River Witham.  In 1842 there was a swing bridge over the river at the south side of Magpie Square which lead to Waterside South, Melville Street wasn't built until the mid-1850s.  Two markets bordered Broadgate: the sheep market on the site of the present St Swithin's Church and the Pig Market in what is now Unity square.  In 1848 the markets were moved to the Cattle Market on the north side of Monks Road.

Magpies Bridge was built 1858, this image is from 1938, it joined Magpies Square (Broadgate) with Melville Street.  The bridge was widened in 1939/1940 and renamed Thornbridge.

 This attractive jumble of buildings stood where Premier Inn is now were, photographed in 1973.  The corner building on the left was Shipleys, one of Lincoln's leading builders merchants.  Shipleys were taken over by Jackson's, a competitor, and the joint company traded as Jackson Shipley but now the Shipley name has been lost and the company now trades as Jackson Building Centres.  At the far end of this block of buildings stands the Wheatsheaf Inn, later to be renamed O'Rourkes Irish Bar, a popular Lincoln pub in the 1960s.  The tall building in the far background is the Lincoln telephone exchange.

Broadgate 1949.  The Drill Hall, known locally as Bread and Cheese Hall, paid for by Joseph Ruston of Ruston, Proctor & Co, for the First Lincoln Volunteer Company, is the building with battlements in the centre-left of the photo.

 

Bread and Cheese Hall

Bread and Cheese Hall

by itsaboutlincoln

In 1889 Ruston, Proctor & Co accountants certified that over the previous 7 years the company had made an average profit of £50,000 per year.  The same year Joseph Ruston converted Ruston, Proctor & Company into a public company, for this he received £465,000 and he rewarded his most senior employees with shares to the value of £10,000.

The following year demand was made by his workers for a pay rise, he refused the request with the reply:

“I hope you’ll let me get bread and cheese out of my business!”  After this Joseph Ruston was nicknamed ‘Mr Bread and Cheese'.

 In the same year, he paid for a new Drill Hall for the First Lincoln Volunteer Company to be built at Broadgate, on the site of Newsum's fire-damaged woodyard. Inevitably the new building became known as ‘Bread and Cheese Hall’.  He could afford the cost as in 1890 the business made a profit of £96,000!  

The Drill Hall was opened by Edward Stanhope, Secretary of State for War on 24th May

1890.  The building was designed by Major F H Goddard of Goddard and Son, Lincoln.  Built by H S & W Close of Lincoln of brick and Ancaster stone, with embattlements and watchtower, it provided a military aspect to its 55 ft frontage.

The gateway is 10 ft wide with the Royal Arms carved out of stone above.  On the right was the officers’ room with an apartment 24 ft by 18 ft, to the left was the Adjutant’s apartment of the same dimensions with an office for the Sergeant Major.  The hall beyond was 140 ft long by 50 ft wide.  The floor of the hall was specially constructed to deaden the noise of drilling men, made of blocks 10in by 2.5 in by 1.5 in, laid in pitch on a solid concrete foundation.

There was also a soup kitchen with coppers and appliances of every type for use at times of need, no doubt it came in useful for the typhoid epidemic of 1904/5.

Above the hall was a balcony for 150 people and a recreation room.

There was an armoury of sufficient size to store the arms of the whole battalion.  On the north side of the hall was a 50 ft by 50 ft gymnasium.

It had been suggested that Ruston knew that to give his employees an increase in wages to his employees would probably put other local engineering companies out of business!   But is that too kind to an entrepreneur who was well known for his hard business head and tough negotiating style?