The Great Hall (Bishop's residence)

TL 5479 2/91

THE COLLEGE The Great Hall (Bishop's residence)

(formerly listed as part of Guest Hall and subsidiary buildings including Headmaster's House)

23.9.50.

GV The Great Hall (Bishop's residence), is part of a block of buildings including the Queen's Hall (Headmaster's House), which adjoins on the south west (qv). The Great Hall, or Guest Hall was built in the mid C13 and was remodelled in the early C14. During the Commonwealth it was subdivided into three storeys. It is built above a fine vaulted undercroft with ribbed vaults rising from plain columns without capitals. The hall is of five bays and was spanned by an open roof with arched principals and wind braces. (Some still remain). The fine stone corbels to the principals, carved in the shape of crouching figures, survive.

It is built of Carr stone rubble with Barnack or similar, stone dressings and has a parapet and stringcourse and stopped end gables. The west gable has a sexfoil window, possibly of C13 origin, reset. The massive central chimney stack of the hall projects on the north side, with three offsets and one of the original pointed arched windows survives to the east of the chimney stack. On the east end the south wall of the Monks Kitchen has survived, with a tall semi-circular arch (blocked) and triple shafted piers with scolloped capitals. North of this stands the porch and staircase which led to the Great Hall. The interior, although altered, has C13 and C14 features.

The Great Hall (Bishop's residence), the Queen's Hall (Headmaster's House), Wall to the garden of the Bishop's residence, Guest Quarters of the Monastery, Walls to the Guest Quarters of the Monastery and Ely Porta, Prior's House (Boarding House of the King's School), Prior Crauden's Chapel, Walls to the garden of the Prior's House, Ely Porta, Barn and Storehouse of the Monastery and wall to the Barn and Storehouse form a group with Bishop's Palace, Walls to the Bishop's Palace, and Nos 2 to 8 (consec) and No 9 (stable to Bishop's Palace), The Gallery. See also general group description under the Cathedral of The Holy Trinity.

Listing NGR: TL5405480174