History of the 'Black Horse'
The earliest charter of 6 Eastgate was issued between 1213 and 8th April 1220. Henry of Butyate sold, with the assent and by the wish of his Lord Roger de Insula, Chancellor of the Cathedral, to Hugh of Wells, Canon of Lincoln and Archdeacon of Bath. It was described in the charter as lying between the lane on the south and the land of William of Avalon on the north. The purchase price was 80 marks, a large sum, which Henry was to return if he could not warrant the land.
Hugh the Archdeacon gave the house to his nephew Hugh son of Osbert who sold it to William of Winchcombe, canon, for 40 marks beween 1231 and 1234. Wiliam of Winchcombe died about 1250, he left his house to Peter of Eastgate, also known as Peter Orgar. An endorsement circa 1300 identifies the property as a house next to the church of All Saints in the Bail, at the west end of the church and formerly the property of master Peter Orgar.
After this period the house continued to be in private ownership until in the seventeenth century it became an Inn known as ‘The Black Horse’ with the word ‘Chambers’ added as it took in guests. The ‘Black Horse Chambers’ existed as a coaching Inn for nearly 400 years until the early 1970s, after which it had various uses including a clothing shop and an antique shop, before becoming a popular restaurant under the same name.
Christina and Paul bought the building in 2010 after it had been empty for 2 years, and having restored the building to one of its original uses we hope the building will continue to be a part of Lincoln’s History.
History posts in our blog: