Greestone Stairs

The greestone Stairs are so-called from the old english `greesen` or steps. The stairs were an important walkway from the 12th century,linking the medieval suburbs of Butwerk at the foot and Eastgate at the top. Both had grown up to the East of the old city walls.

In the 1600`s, many of the cathedral cleaners lived in the cottages on Greestone Terrace,just off the stairs.In the later centuries,when this became a more exclusive area,one of the houses took the name `Grecian House` mistaking `greestone` for something of a more classical flavour.

At the top of the stairs is one of the earliests gates to the cathedral close,which still survives.It was a postern.or back,gate.It is mainly remembered for an incident in the 1720`s, when a large crowd surged through it protesting at plans to dismantle the cathedral spires.

At the foot of the stairs is the impressive red brick building on Lindum Road, built in 1893 to a design by Lincoln-based architect William Watkins.It was originally the Lincoln Girls` School.Its main entrance was off the stairs and above the door you can still see the warning, `Disce aut discede`- `Learn or get out`.