The term Stonebow, which is derived from the Danish word stennibogi, indicates a stone archway that visitors entering the city from the south, along the High Street, would have passed through.

[7] Sometime about 1840 the Lincoln architect W. A. Nicholson made extensive alterations to the east end of the Stonebow, when the building that housed the old City prison was pulled down.

Nicholson appears to have been the architect responsible for the present building to the east of the Stonebow completed about 1844 which now contains the Mayor's Parlour and the display of civic regalia.

[11] The Guildhall, which is on the first floor of the building and which remains the meeting place of Lincoln City Council, won the "Best Story Told Award" from Visit England in 2019.

South front has a roll moulded segmental central arch flanked by single round buttresses with canopied niches containing figures.

[1] The interior of the guildhall has the council chamber on the first floor, which has a strutted king post roof with arch braces to the purlins in the outer bays.