Greyfriars is the oldest Franciscan church building in England. It stands behind St Swithin's church in the downhill area of Lincoln, between Free School Lane and Broadgate. The building originally served as the infirmary hall for the monks who formed one of four medieval friaries in the city of Lincoln.
The Franciscan friars arrived in Lincoln around 1230, and they were granted land to build a friary. The friary was begun around 1237, and completed about 40 years later. After the Dissolution of the Monasteries under Henry VIII the friary served as a school, a prison, and a meeting place for the Mechanic's Institute. Today it is used for regular exhibitions of Lincolnshire archaeology and local history.
