Jew's House, Lincoln
The Jew's House in Lincoln is one of the oldest surviving town houses in Britain, thought to date from around 1170. It is still playing a lively role in Lincoln life - as a restaurant.
Much of the oldest surviving architecture in Britain is either religious or defensive, but the Jew's House is one of the earliest extant town houses in England and can be found on Steep Hill in Lincoln.
The house has traditionally been associated with the thriving Jewish community in Medieval Lincoln, thought to have last belonged to Belaset, daughter of Solomon of Wallingford, before the expulsion of the Jews from England in 1290.
The magnificence of the entry, and its off central position, as well as the lack of an original front entrance to Jew's Court next door, suggest that it was the original entrance to the Medieval synangogue thought to have been behind the Court.
The house is one of only five surviving Medieval Jewish houses in England, evidence of the prominent Jewish community in Lincoln during the 12th and 13th century.
The building has remained continuously occupied to the present day, and is currently in commercial use housing the Jew's House restaurant and Face Facts beauty salon.
Further reading
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