Welcome to Lincoln Drill Hall!

A Short History…

Lincoln’s Drill Hall was built in 1890 on the site of Henry Newsum’s Steam Saw Mill. It was paid for by city industrialist Joseph Ruston who presented the building by Deed of Gift to the Mayor of Lincoln. It was opened on 24 May 1890 by The Right Honorary Edward Stanhope, Secretary of State for War and Member of Parliament for Horncastle.

For most of the first part of the 20th Century it was used as a military & police training hall, but was also available for entertainment and was used by Mr Ruston’s employees for regular dances. After the Second World War all kinds of events began to be staged in the Drill Hall; from wrestling, to bingo, to live bands. The Rolling Stones played here on 31 December 1962, prior to their appearance on the very first Top of the Pops the next day!

By the late 1990s, the building had begun to fall into a state of disrepair and it was closed in 1999 due to the electrical systems being unsafe.

Four years and a £2.6m refurbishment later the building was effectively “turned round” and re-opened as Lincoln Drill Hall, an arts & community venue, with a fully equipped flexible auditorium, a café bar and two smaller rooms all available for hire. In its first few months the new Drill Hall welcomed well-known names such as Jamie Cullum, Alexei Sayle, Jack Dee and Daniel Bedingfield, as well as bands The Damned, Buzzcocks & The Subways. It now presents an all year round programme of jazz, theatre, literature, comedy, blues, dance, rock & pop, classical music, children’s events & workshops and also hosts a huge number of meetings & conferences.

LINCOLN DRILL HALL is owned by RUSTON HALL TRUST and is managed by CITY OF LINCOLN COUNCIL.

The Box Office

Our normal opening hours are 10:00am to 5:00pm Monday to Saturday.

On event nights the box office re-opens one hour before the event starts for ticket collections and on-the-door sales for that show only.

If there is an event on a Sunday or a Bank Holiday the Box Office will also open one hour before the start of the show.

Accessibility

All areas of Lincoln Drill Hall are fully accessible to visitors. The main entrance from Free School Lane is by a gently sloping ramp. Once inside, the Box Office, Armoury Bar and Auditorium are all on ground level and are easily accessible.

The Ruston Room and Abbey Rooms are on the upper floors and are accessible by stairs or lift.

Seating for events in any areas can be arranged to allow space for people in wheelchairs and their carers. There are several spaces available within the main auditorium for wheelchairs. Please let the Box Office know in advance if you wish to reserve a wheelchair space and if you require an adjoining seat for a companion.

For any patrons with hearing difficulties, infra red transmission sets are available – please inform the Box Office Staff if you require a set when booking tickets as only a limited number are available.

Seating Plan

Hiring Lincoln Drill Hall

Click here for corporate hire information

Lincoln Drill Hall is available to hire and is able to accommodate everything from entertainment and social events to business meetings, conferences, training events, exhibitions and corporate hospitality. It is even possible to show films as a DVD projections on our 4×3metre screen. All rooms are furnished to a high standard and equipped with the latest technology including superb presentation facilities and lighting and sound systems.

The Auditorium can be set up in a surprisingly varied number of ways to suit a wide variety of events for 100 – 550 people. The Abbey Room and The Ruston Room both accommodate up to 60 people, while the Armoury Café Bar is ideal for up to 120 people. All rooms and areas of the building (including the stage) are fully accessible by wheelchair.

Please note that there are different rates for hiring rooms within Lincoln Drill Hall, dependent on the time of day, the day of the week, the frequency of the booking and the status of your organisation.

A corporate events brochure is available for commercial organisations interested in hiring the venue. For further information contact Gavin Street, Marketing & Administration Manager, on 01522 873891 or email gavin@lincolndrillhall.com.

The following documents may be of use to hirers:

Hire Charges – 2008 / 2009 | Terms and Conditions of Hire | Technical Information