It’s not every day you get to tread the same path as the likes of children’s author and illustrator Dr. Seuss, novelist John le Carre and the current UK Chancellor Rishi Sunak.
If you’re wondering what these three could possibly have in common, they were all notable alumni of the Lincoln College of Oxford University. A place we’ve recently had the honour of helping renovate.
We never fail to get that buzz of excitement at working in buildings steeped in history, that have played a part in the lives of famous faces, historical figures and household names.
Our expertise was called on to help in the renovation of the Mitre, a small collection of beautiful buildings which are part of Lincoln College in Oxford.
According to architectural historian Nikolaus Pevsner, Lincoln College preserves “more of the character of a 15th century college than any other in Oxford”.
The Mitre itself is said to have been used as one of the ancient centres of learning which eventually gave rise to the University of Oxford. The name refers to the traditional headdress of the Bishop of Lincoln who founded Lincoln College in 1427.
It includes the Mitre rooms, formerly guest rooms of the Mitre Inn, which ceased to be an inn in 1969, when Lincoln College took over the upstairs rooms for student accommodation. The Mitre restaurant and bar remains downstairs.
The Grade II listed buildings, with their uneven floors, rabbit warren layout and poor insulation, were in critical need of repair and modernisation updating. Therefore, in 2018, Lincoln College embarked on a £16million refurbishment of the site.
Storm was employed to manufacture and install a full range of 133 bespoke secondary glazing units for the Mitre buildings as part of this prestigious project, blending the character of the old with the warmth and efficiency of the new.
The modernisation is being part-funded with room naming opportunities. Alumni and friends of the college have been invited to sponsor a room, which will be named after them in perpetuity.
We are incredibly grateful to have played a part in its renovation.
A few more fascinating facts about Lincoln College:
- Mensa was founded at Lincoln College in 1946.
- It has one of the oldest working medieval kitchens in the UK.
- Other famous alumni include Lord Howard Florey and Sir Edward Abraham, both involved in pioneering work on the therapeutic properties of penicillin.
- The College has been the setting for three episodes of Inspector Morse.
- Lincoln College is the setting for much of the action in Heresy by S J Parris, a historical crime novel.
- Even the pub has significant historical value. It’s present structure dates back to 1630 but there has been an inn on the same site since the 1300s playing a pivotal role in the city.
For more information or to book a free no-obligation survey, simply give us a call on 01384 63 63 65 or email sales@stormwindows.co.uk.
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