The Red Hall

Among the oldest surviving domestic properties in Bourne today is the Red Hall. It was built in the early 17th century by a wealthy businessman, Gilbert Fisher, and is typical of the new style of house being constructed for prosperous gentlemen of the early Stuart period but there is evidence that Fisher was too ambitious because he died in debt in 1633 and the cost of constructing the Red Hall has been blamed for his insolvency.

After Gilbert Fisher's death, the Red Hall eventually passed into the hands of the Digby family who had no connection whatsoever with Sir Everard Digby, one of the perpetrators of the Gunpowder Plot of 1605, as is erroneously believed by many people in Bourne and elsewhere. Books on the town's history that quote this connection are incorrect. The Red Hall was only completed in that year and the Digby family did not take over the house until a century later.

In 1857, the hall was sold to the Bourne and Essendine Railway Company and so it came about that the town's railway station arose almost on the doorstep of this famous building. The Red Hall was used as the stationmaster's house and ticket office for the railway line but when this closed, the freehold was acquired in 1962 by the Bourne United Charities who remain the owners. 

The hall was in a dilapidated condition when they took over but with the aid of local funds and grants, it was carefully and sympathetically restored to its former elegance and the building re-opened in December 1972. Since then, the main rooms have been used as offices and as a meeting place for local groups such as the history society, the local naturalists and other conservation organisations.

Most visitors see only the front facade of the Red Hall and few take the trouble to walk round and inspect it from the back. It is equally attractive from here and despite the financial problems it created for Gilbert Fisher, we are grateful for his architectural legacy that has become one of the delights of this small market town.

An illustrated tour of the Red Hall and an account of its history, together with an appraisal of the Gunpowder Plot folklore, can be found on the CD-ROM A Portrait of Bourne.

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