The Drill, previously known as Lincoln Drill Hall, is a former drill hall in

Lincoln Lincoln most commonly refers to: * Abraham Lincoln (1809–1865), the sixteenth president of the United States * Lincoln, England, cathedral city and county town of Lincolnshire, England * Lincoln, Nebraska, the capital of Nebraska, U.S. * Lincol ...

, England, which is now used as a multi-purpose community hub, hosting live music, comedy shows, pantomimes and live wrestling performances. It is currently under the stewardship of the Lincoln College Group. After being fully refurbished, and renovated, it re-opened to the public on 11 December 2021.

History

The building was designed by architects Goddard and Son for the 1st Lincolnshire

Rifle Volunteers The Rifle Volunteers was a regiment of the British Territorial Army. In 2007, it was re-designated as 6th Battalion, The Rifles. History The ''Rifle Volunteers'' were formed in 1999 by the amalgamation of the 6th (Volunteer) Battalion, The Ligh ...

and construction was financed by

Joseph Ruston Joseph Ruston (1835 – 11 June 1897) was an English engineer and manufacturer and Liberal Party politician, though he split from the party over Home Rule and retired.obit. The Automotor and Horseless Carriage Journal, June 1897, p367 Ruston wa ...

, a former M.P. for the city. It was opened in 1890 and, although purpose-built for military training, community and social events were held in the hall from an early stage. The 1st Lincolnshire Rifle Volunteers evolved to become to 4th Battalion of the

Lincolnshire Regiment The Royal Lincolnshire Regiment was a line infantry regiment of the British Army raised on 20 June 1685 as the Earl of Bath's Regiment for its first Colonel, John Granville, 1st Earl of Bath. In 1751, it was numbered like most other Army regiments ...

in 1908. The battalion was mobilised at the drill hall in August 1914 before being deployed to the Western Front. The 4th Battalion was reconstituted after the

Second World War World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposi ...

and amalgamated with the 6th Battalion to form the 4th/6th Battalion in 1950. Various forms of entertainment were held at the hall - the most notable performance being a gig by

The Rolling Stones The Rolling Stones are an English Rock music, rock band formed in London in 1962. Active for six decades, they are one of the most popular and enduring bands of the album era, rock era. In the early 1960s, the Rolling Stones pioneered the g ...

on New Year's Eve, 1963; the following day they made their debut on the BBC's ''Top of the Pops'' television show. In 1967 the 2nd (Duchess of Gloucester's Own Royal Lincolnshire and Northamptonshire) Company, 5th (Volunteer) Battalion, The

Royal Anglian Regiment The Royal Anglian Regiment (R ANGLIAN) is an infantry regiment of the British Army. It consists of two Regular battalions and one Reserve battalion. The modern regiment was formed in 1964, making it the oldest of the Line Regiments now operating i ...

was formed in Lincoln. The building continued to be used for military training for most of the rest of the century but increasingly fell into disrepair and closed in 1999. However, by public demand it was reopened four years later following a £2.6m refurbishment programme. The principal contractor was local company Lindum Construction. In 2010 the Council passed day-to-day control to the independent Lincoln Arts Trust. The building was managed by the Ruston Hall Trust, a subsidiary charity of the Lincoln Arts Trust until the city council voted to stop its annual grant of £187,000 and it closed in March 2020. Saved from permanent closure by the Lincoln College Group, the venue was extensively renovated and refurbished in late 2021, reopening in December for a series of pantomime performances. The building (with the adjacent clubhouse) is a Grade II

Listed Building In the United Kingdom, a listed building or listed structure is one that has been placed on one of the four statutory lists maintained by Historic England in England, Historic Environment Scotland in Scotland, in Wales, and the Northern Irel ...

Facilities

The main auditorium has a maximum capacity of around 500 and it has hosted various bands - Buzzcocks, The Damned,

Stiff Little Fingers Stiff Little Fingers are a punk rock band from Belfast, Northern Ireland. They formed in 1977 at the height of the Troubles, which informed much of their songwriting. They started out as a schoolboy band called Highway Star (named after the De ...

Iron Maiden Iron Maiden are an English heavy metal band formed in Leyton, East London, in 1975 by bassist and primary songwriter Steve Harris. While fluid in the early years of the band, the lineup for most of the band's history has consisted of Harri ...

Seth Lakeman Seth,; el, Σήθ ''Sḗth''; ; "placed", "appointed") in Judaism, Christianity, Islam, Mandaeism, and Sethianism, was the third son of Adam and Eve and brother of Cain and Abel, their only other child mentioned by name in the Hebrew Bible. Ac ...

and

The Subways The Subways is an English rock band from Welwyn Garden City, Hertfordshire. Formed in 2002, the band consists of Billy Lunn (lead vocals, guitar), Charlotte Cooper (bass guitar, lead vocals), and Camille Phillips (drums). Founding-drummer Josh ...

being notable examples. The venue has also hosted comedy acts including

Russell Howard Russell Joseph Howard (born 23 March 1980) is an English comedian, television presenter, radio presenter, and actor. He was known for his television show ''Russell Howard's Good News'' and is currently doing ''The Russell Howard Hour'', and his ...

Marcus Brigstocke Marcus Alexander Brigstocke (born 8 May 1973) is a British comedian, actor and satirist. He has worked in stand-up comedy, television, radio and musical theatre. He has appeared on many BBC television and radio shows. Early life Brigstocke is ...

and

Mark Thomas Mark Clifford Thomas (born 11 April 1963) is an English comedian, presenter, political satirist, and journalist. He first became known as a guest comic on the BBC Radio 1 comedy show ''The Mary Whitehouse Experience'' in the late 1980s. He is ...

. It also acts as a

cafe A coffeehouse, coffee shop, or café is an establishment that primarily serves coffee of various types, notably espresso, latte, and cappuccino. Some coffeehouses may serve cold drinks, such as iced coffee and iced tea, as well as other non-caf ...

with a seating area inside as well as a restaurant, called The Limelight, which is expected to open to the public in spring 2022. It also hosts the Lincoln

Beer Festival A beer festival is an event at which a variety of beers are available for purchase. There may be a theme, for instance beers from a particular area, or a particular brewing style such as winter ales. Asia * Singapore holds an annual Beer Festiva ...

each year. Following the construction of the city's new music venue, the Engine Shed - which has enabled big name, established bands to visit the city - The Drill has become the first-choice venue for up and coming bands from across the United Kingdom when they are in Lincoln. As well as bands, The Drill hosts theatre, literature talks, films, classical music, the Red Herring Comedy Club among other comedy nights, workshops and business meetings. It also plays host to the much-loved disability club night, The Butterfly Club, providing a uniquely inclusive party experience for people with learning disabilities and physical impairments. File:The Drill, pictured is the exterior wall on Free School Lane.jpg, alt=The Drill, Lincoln, Free School Lane, The Drill, Lincoln, Free School Lane File:The Drill - interior bar- cafe.jpg, alt=The Drill Lincoln bar area, The bar and cafe area of the revamped venue, pictured in spring 2022 File:The Drill, Lincoln, Box Office.jpg, alt=The Box Office at The Drill, Lincoln, 2022, The Box Office at The Drill, Lincoln

References

External links

The Drill website

Resident photographer Phil Crow
{{Authority control Buildings and structures in Lincoln, England Theatres in Lincolnshire Grade II listed buildings in Lincolnshire Drill halls in England