The Great Hall

May Day 1989        Fete 1990

The Great Hall was usable but shabby from the begining. Its worst defect was the staircase. Just as the Trust was formed it was vandalised.

Stairway in 1987      Work started 1992

It remained in the temporary state until work on restoring the Hall started in 1992. This was no small task. Behind the oak panelling is the original Tudor structure, as modified at the north wall in the seventeenth century.

The Minstrel Gallery was completely rebuilt at the top of the stairs but the major pressing problem was on the east wall, which had not been properly supported after John Averill demolished the front entrance and the buildings in the yard.

From the inside, the lower part of the wall is hand made brick, the upper part lath and plaster. It was a tall, thin, unsupported structure. In the right hand picture the steel plates affixed to the new oak cross beam at the top and the columns at the bottom can be seen. These were tied to new steel support columns on the outside of the wall, as seen below.

Interior decoration got under way in 1992, Brian Dodds, one of our longest serving volunteers being mainly responsible. Jack Burns made some copies of paintings that are in the possession of Lord Middleton at Birdsell. Jack's reproductions are described in Simon Hoggart's book 'The 1000 Best Houses in England' as 'poor copies'. They do, however serve to bring to the attention of visitors some of the people who were important in the history of the Hall.

In 1994 the Hall was as shown below and one of its earliest uses was for a concert by visiting Rossica choir from Russia. The Russian dolls in the South Dining Room are the memento of their visit.

Shortly afterwards the Hall was licensed for civil weddings and this is now a major and very effective use of the hall

The first wedding        Wedding Breakfast 2004