DOI Page / Citation link:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.32038#0077
THE BISHOP’S PALACE, VVELLS.
45
Plate I. The Hall of the Bishop’s Palace, Wells.
No. 1. An elevation of the north side, which faces the front court of the
palace, is here given. It remains tolerably perfect, excepting the porch, which
was taken down not many years since. The porch was large, and had a vaulted
roof over the entrance, with a chamber above it. The walls of the porch were
embattled, and nearly as high as those of the hall.* The upper window, shewn
on the right hand of the entrance, opened into a chamber at the west end of
the hall; the two small lights below it belonged to an office under the chamber;
and the door near them led to the room over the porch.
No. 2. Shews an elevation of the west end. The upper window belongs to
the chamber, and the door led to the kitchen and other culinary offices.
No. 3. This plan shews the entire form of the walls, but the columns that
supported the roof cannot be shewn, as every vestige of them has been erased.
We have the testimony of William of Worcester, who saw this hall whilst it was
perfect, that it had two aisles ;f and other instances might be adduced of halls so
divided into a nave and aisles, by arches and columns: indeed, that seems to
have been the usual plan in halls of large dimensions, previous to the fourteenth
century, when an improved manner of constructing arched roofs of timber,
superseded the necessity of columns. The length of the hall was divided into five
bays, four of which were occupied by windows on each side, and one by the
door. The three openings at the lower end of the hall, led by a passage under
the floor of the great chamber, to the kitchen, buttery, pantry, and other offices
now demolished. J The turret, at the north-east angle of the hall adjoins to the
* See the view published by S. and N. Buck, in 1733, a very interesting performance, notwith-
standing some violations of perspective. The porch was then perfect, and was covered with lead,
and the shell of the hall was standing entire, but without any roof.
f “ Memorandum quod aula episcopatus Wellensis continet per estimacionem circa 80 gressus
super navem et duos elas. Latitudo ejus continet circa 46 gressus. Et habet pulcrum porticum
archuatum cum volta.” Itin. W. de Worcestre, p. 284. This was written about the year 1478.
f The hall of the bishop’s palace at Lincoln, erected nearly a century earlier than this, was built
on a similar plan, but was not so long by about thirty feet. The central part of the roof was sup-
ported by two rows of pointed arches, four on each side. There was a great chamber at the lower
end of the hall, with a passage beneath it leading to the kitchen, buttery, pantry, &c., exactly as at
Wells; and it also had a porch in the same position, with a chamber over the entrance. The roof at
Lincoln was carried in the same range over the great chamber; but at Wells there seems to have
been only a flat roof over the chamber, with a gutter at the west end of the building. See the
elevation in Pl. 1, No. 2. The roof of the hall had undoubtedly two gables.
VOL. II.
H
45
Plate I. The Hall of the Bishop’s Palace, Wells.
No. 1. An elevation of the north side, which faces the front court of the
palace, is here given. It remains tolerably perfect, excepting the porch, which
was taken down not many years since. The porch was large, and had a vaulted
roof over the entrance, with a chamber above it. The walls of the porch were
embattled, and nearly as high as those of the hall.* The upper window, shewn
on the right hand of the entrance, opened into a chamber at the west end of
the hall; the two small lights below it belonged to an office under the chamber;
and the door near them led to the room over the porch.
No. 2. Shews an elevation of the west end. The upper window belongs to
the chamber, and the door led to the kitchen and other culinary offices.
No. 3. This plan shews the entire form of the walls, but the columns that
supported the roof cannot be shewn, as every vestige of them has been erased.
We have the testimony of William of Worcester, who saw this hall whilst it was
perfect, that it had two aisles ;f and other instances might be adduced of halls so
divided into a nave and aisles, by arches and columns: indeed, that seems to
have been the usual plan in halls of large dimensions, previous to the fourteenth
century, when an improved manner of constructing arched roofs of timber,
superseded the necessity of columns. The length of the hall was divided into five
bays, four of which were occupied by windows on each side, and one by the
door. The three openings at the lower end of the hall, led by a passage under
the floor of the great chamber, to the kitchen, buttery, pantry, and other offices
now demolished. J The turret, at the north-east angle of the hall adjoins to the
* See the view published by S. and N. Buck, in 1733, a very interesting performance, notwith-
standing some violations of perspective. The porch was then perfect, and was covered with lead,
and the shell of the hall was standing entire, but without any roof.
f “ Memorandum quod aula episcopatus Wellensis continet per estimacionem circa 80 gressus
super navem et duos elas. Latitudo ejus continet circa 46 gressus. Et habet pulcrum porticum
archuatum cum volta.” Itin. W. de Worcestre, p. 284. This was written about the year 1478.
f The hall of the bishop’s palace at Lincoln, erected nearly a century earlier than this, was built
on a similar plan, but was not so long by about thirty feet. The central part of the roof was sup-
ported by two rows of pointed arches, four on each side. There was a great chamber at the lower
end of the hall, with a passage beneath it leading to the kitchen, buttery, pantry, &c., exactly as at
Wells; and it also had a porch in the same position, with a chamber over the entrance. The roof at
Lincoln was carried in the same range over the great chamber; but at Wells there seems to have
been only a flat roof over the chamber, with a gutter at the west end of the building. See the
elevation in Pl. 1, No. 2. The roof of the hall had undoubtedly two gables.
VOL. II.
H