University renames building after Lady Nicola de la Haye – ‘the woman who saved England’
19 May 2017
Influential Lincolnshire women of past and present were honoured today (Friday 19th May) in a ceremony that saw the University of Lincoln’s Vice Chancellor rename one its buildings the Nicola de la Haye Building. Professor Mary Stuart welcomed Ursula Lidbetter, Chief Executive of the Lincolnshire Co-operative, Christine Wilson, the Dean of Lincoln Cathedral, and Angela […]
Influential Lincolnshire women of past and present were honoured today (Friday 19th May) in a ceremony that saw the University of Lincoln’s Vice Chancellor rename one its buildings the Nicola de la Haye Building.
Professor Mary Stuart welcomed Ursula Lidbetter, Chief Executive of the Lincolnshire Co-operative, Christine Wilson, the Dean of Lincoln Cathedral, and Angela Andrews, Chief Executive at Lincoln City Council at the event to formally rename the west wing of the Art, Architecture and Design Building, where a new portrait and plaque was unveiled.
Frequently referred to as ‘the woman who saved England’, Lady Nicola de la Haye was the castellan of Lincoln Castle during the Battle of Lincoln in 1217.
While much of England had been taken by the combined French and rebel English forces, Nicola and her garrison remained loyal to King Henry III, successfully defending the strategically vital fortification and influencing the course of English history.
The official renaming of the building took place on the eve of the 800th anniversary of the Battle of Lincoln and celebrated the contribution of Nicola de la Haye and the other influential women of Lincolnshire past and present.
Professor Mary Stuart said: “Lincolnshire has produced a remarkable number of visionary thinkers, determined leaders and pioneers over the centuries, and the University seeks to honour our great past in this wonderful county.
“Nicola de la Haye is a forgotten heroine in English history whose feisty determination enabled success for the English crown in the battle of Lincoln so we’re delighted to honour her and her memory with the renaming of our Arts building”
The renaming ceremony marks the beginning of a summer of celebrations commemorating the events of 1217 and Nicola de la Haye’s contribution, starting with the launch of the Lincoln Knights’ Trail tomorrow (Saturday 20th May).
Nicola has also provided the inspiration for the Society of Medieval Archaeology’s 60th anniversary annual conference, ‘Women, Status and Power in Medieval Society’, which will be hosted by the University of Lincoln on Friday 30th June and Saturday 1st July 2017. The conference will feature contributions from leading academics, including the University’s Professor Carenza Lewis, historian and broadcaster Michael Wood, and an authoritative voice on Nicola de la Haye, Professor Louise Wilkinson.