The Papestry opens permanently at Lincoln’s Usher Gallery

Lincoln’s six-metre drawing of Bailgate and Steep Hill is now on permanent display at the Usher Gallery. The Papestry can be seen in Gallery Two on the ground floor from Thursday to Monday, between 10am and 4pm.

The permanent exhibition was confirmed by Lincolnshire County Council on 14 August 2026. It is intended for the general public, including residents who missed the original summer exhibition and visitors who want to examine Matthew D. Wright’s detailed recreation again.

When and where to see The Papestry

• Venue: Usher Gallery, Lincoln
• Gallery: Gallery Two, ground floor
• Days: Thursday to Monday
• Hours: 10am to 4pm
• Exhibition period: Permanent display; no closing date has been announced
• Audience: General public

The council’s announcement does not state an admission price, booking arrangements, transport advice or accessibility information. Anyone who needs those details before travelling will need to check the Usher Gallery’s latest visitor information.

A six-metre view of Bailgate and Steep Hill

The Papestry is a continuous pen drawing stretching across nearly six metres. Wright used the work to capture Lincoln’s Bailgate and Steep Hill area, presenting a detailed record of one of the city’s best-known historic settings.

Its permanent return follows a heavily attended exhibition during June and July. Lincolnshire County Council recorded 7,042 visitors, with queues forming outside the Usher Gallery during the final days as people tried to see the drawing before that temporary run ended.

The council has since acquired the work, allowing it to remain in Lincoln’s public collection. Wright described the drawing as a time capsule of an area that continues to change and said he had been overwhelmed by the response to the earlier exhibition.

“I’m so pleased that after the success of the exhibition, The Papestry can still be enjoyed in the city’s art gallery now, and in the future,” he said.

The Lincoln artworks displayed alongside it

The permanent placement gives visitors an opportunity to compare Wright’s contemporary cityscape with three earlier interpretations of Lincoln displayed nearby.

The surrounding works include LS Lowry’s Lincoln from 1959, William Logsdail’s Lincoln Cathedral, Exchequer Gate and Castle Square from 1904, and Peter DeWint’s Lincoln from the South with Bargate from 1824.

Together, the four works show different perspectives on the city across roughly two centuries. Wright’s drawing adds a closely observed record of the present-day Bailgate and Steep Hill area to that sequence.

Planning a visit to the Usher Gallery

There is no single event date to plan around because The Papestry has become a permanent fixture. Visitors should instead note that the Usher Gallery is closed on Tuesdays and Wednesdays under the schedule supplied by Lincolnshire County Council.

The confirmed viewing window is Thursday to Monday, from 10am until 4pm, in Gallery Two on the ground floor.

Source: Lincolnshire County Council