The Queen's Hall (Headmaster's House)

TL 5479 2/92

THE COLLEGE The Queen's Hall (Headmaster's House)

23.9.50.

GV The Queen's Hall was built by Prior Crauden circa 1330. It is said to have been built for entertaining Queen Philippa, wife of Edward III. It is now the Headmaster's House of the King's School. The original vaulted undercroft remains with ribbed vaulting springing from plain columns without capitals. There are C14 pointed arched windows with curvilinear tracery on the south and east fronts.

It is built of Carr stone rubble with Barnack, or similar, stone dressings and much brick patching. The hall of four bays, which has been sub-divided to form a dwelling house, is buttressed on the east front and has small corner wings (or towers) on the south end. The present steeply pitched tiled roof replaces an earlier flat leaded roof. The line of the original roof can still be seen on the south gable. Although much altered, the interior retains C14 features including corbels carved in the shape of crouching figures (similar to those in the Great Hall) which took the roof principals, also a C14 corbelled chimney stack on the west side, with ogee arches springing from carved heads. (Originally an external feature, now enclosed by later buildings).

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 (stables to Bishop's Palace), The Gallery. See also general group description under the Cathedral of the Holy Trinity.

Listing NGR: TL5402880172