The Old Nick Police Museum

Victorian Police Museum & Magistrates' Court within Gainsborough.
Originally built in the 1860 which is now dedicated to the history of the Lincolnshire Police.

Back in 1859 the land that we now know as The Old Nick was sold to build a Magistrates' Court and Police Station, with the handy location of being in the centre of town and on the junction of Spring Gardens and Cross Street it made it the perfect spot to have the original police station in Gainsborough.

These two buildings served their purpose until 1972 when the new police station on Morton Terrace was built followed by the new Magistrates' Court on Church Street in 1978. Mr Douglas Parkinson purchased both of the old buildings in 1978 and then in 1980 (the important date for the theatre group) he told the members of the theatre they could use the premises for rehearsals at a peppercorn rent.

When Mr Parkinson died in 1992 he bequeathed the property to the Gainsborough Theatre Group and then this is when the physical hard work began. Piles of rubbish had to be cleared from many of the inside rooms, outside stores and around the building itself in order to make it all usable.

This Grade ll listed building is now home to many theatre productions throughout the year and the newly refurbished museum showing off the original police quarters.