Lincoln's Inn has occupied the same site for more than 600 years. Whether or not it is the oldest of the Inns of Court, Lincoln's Inn has the earliest comprehensive records, the Black Books, dating back to 1422.
The Old Gateway
The Great Hall
One may ask why "Lincoln's?" The traditional answer is that the Inn is named after Henry de Lacy, third Earl of Lincoln, who died in 1311.
The War Memorial
Then why "Inn?" In the Middle Ages, the word "inn" was used not only to describe a commercial hostelry but for the town house of a peer, bishop or other magnate. An inn might consist of a group of buildings and would often include an imposing hall, large enough to house the owner, his family, his guests and his retinue. Sometime in the 13th century, law students began to lodge at various inns in central London and some of these inns evolved into centres of legal education.
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