First Phase of Major Roof Repairs Complete at King Arthur's Great Halls, Tintagel
The first significant repairs in 90 years to the Grade II* listed King Arthur's Great Halls in Tintagel, Cornwall, have been completed, supported by a £168,000 grant from Historic England.
Further works are needed to remove the Great Halls, a remarkable example of Cornwall's distinctive architecture, from the Heritage at Risk Register. The Grade II* building is open to the public and central to the story of Tintagel and Arthurian legend.
Devon-based traditional specialist builders Bramhill completed reroofing the front of the Great Halls using slate sourced from nearby Trevillett Quarry, supporting heritage crafts skills and sustainable building practices.
The project began in January, and despite the winter storms that affected the north Cornwall coast, the work progressed smoothly and on schedule.
The repairs have stopped water from getting into the building, preventing further damage to its historically significant interiors, but further works are needed.
I am both delighted and relieved that we find ourselves with a watertight main building, thanks to the Historic England grant. The building houses many important paintings, fabrics and artefacts produced for this unique collection which are now safe from water damage. We can now start to plan the next repairs.
We're delighted to have been selected to work on such a prestigious building and to work with the clients to protect the fabric of the Halls for future generations to enjoy. Working with local slate, we are helping bring the Halls back to their former glory.
History
King Arthur's Great Halls is one of Cornwall's most distinctive buildings. It comprises Trevena House, a large Victorian residence, with a purpose-built Great Hall at the rear. The Great Hall was added between 1927 and 1933 for London businessman and founder of the Fellowship of the Knights of the Round Table, Frederick Thomas Glasscock. The Halls became the headquarters for the Fellowship, a society dedicated to Arthurian values of honour and chivalry.
The Halls feature 73 stained-glass windows by artist Veronica Whall (1887 to 1967), the largest collection of her work anywhere in the world and widely considered one of the finest examples of Arts and Crafts stained-glass windows. There is also a series of 10 specially commissioned oil paintings by artist William Hatherell (1855 to 1928), telling the story of King Arthur and his Knights.
King Arthur's Great Halls was first listed at Grade II in 1987. It was upgraded to Grade II* in July 2021 in recognition of its outstanding architecture and decoration, placing it among the top 6% of listed buildings in England.
Next steps
King Arthur's Great Halls went onto Historic England's Heritage at Risk Register in 2022 due to its deteriorating condition. The Register identifies sites that are most at risk of being lost and helps to ensure they are protected and continue to be used and enjoyed in the future.
Further major work is needed to remove the Halls from the Register. Plans are being developed for the next phase, including reroofing the rest of the Great Hall and specialist conservation of historic wall paintings and stained glass.
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