The Great Hall
The magnificent Great Hall is the heart of The Master's House. It was built to impress, and it still takes your breath away more than 500 years later. This is where Masters of St Katherine's Hospital dined, carried out hospital business and entertained their guests.
It is the oldest part of the building and along with the Panelled Room and Buttery, would have comprised the original footprint when the mansion was built in 1487.
It's possible that the Master and his guests dined at the west end of the Great Hall, sat side by side behind a long table, all facing down the hall.
Medieval writing
During the restoration works, a quotation from the Bible in medieval writing was discovered on a beam near to where the table may have been positioned. Now carefully restored, it translates as, "Whoso walketh uprightly shall be saved; but he that is perverse in his ways shall fall at once." (Proverbs 28:18).
Perhaps it was the Master's way of reminding everyone to behave properly in his house!
The ceiling
The ceiling is a masterpiece of medieval carpentry. Replacement oak from the restoration between 2011 – 2015, shows light in contrast to the original oak of the 1487 building.
The architect wanted to keep the new oak in its natural state, so it's possible to see where the repairs and replacements have been made.
The timbers are oak, which is an especially strong wood. The largest original timbers came from Teddeswood, near Ross-on-Wye. The new timbers used during the restoration come from France.