The building that became known as The Cardinal’s Hat,
a three-storey, half-timbered structure near to the top of the High Street in Lincoln at the junction with Grantham Street.
This Grade II listed property was built in the late fifteenth century and was the town house of the Granthams,
an important family of wool merchants, hence the name of the street.

At the time it was built, the house was at the heart of the old walled city,
the centre of the commercial district, close to the fish, poultry, meat and corn markets.
It is a fine example of a late medieval, timber framed house.
Early in the sixteenth century the Granthams moved to a country house near Wragby and their former home became a public house in 1514.
It is believed that the pub was named after Cardinal Thomas Wolsey, who was Bishop of Lincoln in 1514/15
and later became Lord Chancellor to Henry VIII.

(taken from: https://www.lincolnshirelife.co.uk/heritage/the-cardinals-hat/)