Dendrochronological or tree-ring dating has recently been carried on some of the original roof timbers, which have been dated to around 1450, making the Hall over 550 years old.
Throughout its history the Hall has continued to grow and develop, with each owner changing the building to represent their needs and the fashions of the time. This explains the rather Gothic-looking Victorian frontage, the Georgian ceiling best seen from the Entrance Hall, and the whole host of Medieval features exposed and explained throughout the Hall.
Once the home of the prestigious Johnson family, Ayscoughfee Hall spent much of its life as a private house for a succession of families, before being purchased by the people of Spalding during the early 20th Century. Since then it has served as a library, School, Council Offices and most recently as the District's museum.
In 2003 Ayscoughfee Hall closed for renovation and refurbishment, funded by the Heritage Lottery Fund, South Holland District Council, Lincolnshire Tourism and the Friends of Ayscoughfee. The Museum reopened in June 2006 to acclaim, winning Lincolnshire's Museum of the Year in 2007.
In 2008, Ayscoughfee took part in an exciting project with NAU Archaeology. For more information, please see our Ayscoughfee Gardens section or NAU's website, where you can learn a lot more about the day-to-day events on site.
Our most recent success was being upgraded to grade I listed status by English Heritage in January 2012. Only 2.5% of listed buildings in England hold this status, which reflects the significance and importance of Ayscoughfee Hall to British history.
If you are interested in a particular aspect of the Hall's history, the owners/occupiers or the Gardens please email museum@sholland.gov.uk and we'll try to help.
Alternatively, a brief history of the Hall and Gardens (PDF, 1226KB) is available.
