The Guildhall and Stonebow has been the meeting place of Lincoln City Council from medieval times to the present. The term stonebow is derived from Old Norse and means a stone arch. The first gateway on the site dates from around 211AD. The Guildhall which was located elsewhere was moved to above the stonebow in 1237. The present Guildhall however dates from 1520.
There are impressive statues either side of the archway which are apparently representations of the Virgin Mary – patron saint of the city and the cathedral, and the Archangel Gabriel.
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