TV personality Guy Martin visits the heart of historic Lincoln with his replica full size WW1 tank to unveil a World Origin Site plaque at the White Hart Hotel

7am – Photo opportunity. Tank moved into position outside the White Hart Hotel. Route map available.

10.45 am – Photo opportunity - Unveiling of World Origin Site plaque by Guy Martin. Words from Guy Martin (TV personality), Andrew Long (hotel owner), Martin Wilkie (Founder of World Origin Sites.org), Lincoln Councillor Neil McElhinney Murray and Dr Jane Jones (CEO, Care After Combat).

11.20 onwards - Interview opportunities with all of those mentioned above plus Stephen MacHaye, Chair of the Norfolk Tank Museum.

10am to 10pm - Exhibition in the Royal Courtyard (inside the White Hart Hotel) of working scale model tanks and memorabilia.

12 noon to 5pm – Tours of the Tank Room on request for media and public and photo opportunities with the replica tank outside the hotel.

8pm – Tank Departure

TV personality Guy Martin and his replica WW1 tank visit Lincoln to commemorate the Tank Room at the White Hart Hotel receiving World Origin Site status.

Lincolnshire-born TV personality and former motorcycle racer, Guy Martin and his replica WWI tank, Deborah II, visited Lincoln today to celebrate the Tank Room at the White Hart Hotel receiving prestigious World Origin Site status.

110 years ago in 1915 'the tank' - an armoured fighting vehicle - was conceived at the hotel in top secret meetings in a room now named the ‘Tank Room’. The importance of the historic site has been acknowledged by the accreditation of World Origin Site status and a cast and hand painted blue plaque unveiled today by Guy. A second plaque is sited in the room itself.

World Origin Site status is achieved through a rigorous certification process to ensure the authenticity of places, people and moments where something truly ground-breaking was invented, discovered or first used.

The Tank Room, registered site WOS00116, is where pivotal meetings were held in Summer 1915 to discuss the concept of an armed and armoured land attack vehicle, code name ‘tank’. Because of the secrecy required any drawings of the proposed ‘tank’ that wouldn’t work were burned in the room’s fireplace. Many hundreds of tanks were subsequently built in Lincoln.

The full-size replica tank positioned outside the hotel to mark today’s event travelled specially for the occasion from the Norfolk Tank Museum, located in South Norfolk. Guy Martin built the working replica of the Mark IV tank with JCB, The Norfolk Tank Museum and Chasestead Engineering to celebrate the Battle of Cambrai during the WWI Centenary Celebration in 2017.  The Battle of Cambrai was the first ever large-scale tank battle to see tanks used in action. 

Lincolnshire businessman, Andrew Long, owner of the White Hart Hotel, said:

“We are very proud to achieve the accolade of World Origin Site status for the Tank Room at The White Hart Hotel, marking the legacy and significance of these historic meetings for the UK and the world as a whole. I’m passionate about Lincoln and delighted to be in a position to enhance this wonderful historic building and help acknowledge the key role it has played in the city and beyond. Achieving prestigious World Origin Site status will help to place us firmly on the international map and provide more reasons for visitors and locals to enjoy this wonderful city and our rich history and heritage.”

Martin Wilkie, Founder of World Origin Site.org said:

“We are absolutely delighted to welcome the Tank Room at the White Hart Hotel in Lincoln into our family of internationally significant sites. It’s a room that changed the world of warfare forever. The Tank broke the terrible stalemate of trench battle and certainly shortened the conflict. World Origin Site.Org was set up to mark and celebrate these world changing moments. We hope that more visitors to Lincoln, hotel guests and military experts will find this interesting. The White Hart Hotel certainly deserves its unique place in the history of the modern world."

Stephen MacHaye, Chair of the Norfolk Tank Museum, where Guy Martin’s replica WW1 tank lives, said:

“It is an honour to play a role in this hugely significant occasion and to bring Deborah II to the founding home of the tank in Lincoln. It’s particularly fitting that today’s unveiling involves Guy Martin, whose documentary raised such awareness of the tank and its importance to WWI, coupled with the fact that he was born and still lives in Lincolnshire.”

Following the unveiling, from around 12 noon, visitors and locals will have the opportunity to have photographs outside the White Hart Hotel with the replica WW1 tank. There will also be tours of the Tank Room and a display of memorabilia and working scale replica model tanks in the hotel’s Royal Courtyard. The tank will depart around 8pm. The day’s events will be followed in the evening by a dinner and drinks reception where invited guests will gather in aid of Care After Combat.