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Historic hall roof repaired in first phase of work

Lisa Young
BBC News, South West
Jeremy Chadburn Looking across the halls' rooftop. There are areas of the roof being repaired with new wooden batons over roofing material and piles of slates ready to be put in place. Two gable windows are boarded up and in the third there is a builder wearing a high-viz jacket and hat. At the end of the flat section are two men standing looking at the repairs who are wearing high-viz jackets. Over the rooftop there are views to the hills beyond. Jeremy Chadburn
The first reroofing works of King Arthur's Great Halls in more than 90 years have been completed

A Grade II* listed building steeped in Arthurian legend in Cornwall has been reroofed.

It is the first major repair works in 90 years for the King Arthur's Great Halls, Tintagel, and was supported by a £168,000 grant from Historic England.

Traditional builders Bramhill, based in Winkleigh, Devon, began work in January and used slate sourced from Trevillett Quarry, near Tintagel.

Historic England said roof works and conservation of the art and stained glass windows were being planned to remove the halls from its "at risk" register.

Historic England/James O Davies The interior of one of the halls. It has a stone floor and a curved wooden ceiling. Large semi-circular stained glass windows line both walls leading to an ornately carved stone wall featuring a structure that looks like a large mantelpiece. The wall has a large theatre-style red velvet curtain with gold details. There is a stone table in front of the mantelpiece with a throne-style chair also made of stone. There are colourful flags lining the walls and chairs below them. Historic England/James O Davies
The Great Hall remains the headquarters of the Fellowship of the Knights of the Round Table

Conservation architect Jeremy Chadburn, who worked on the project, said: "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."

The halls were added to Historic England's heritage-at-risk register in 2022 due to their deteriorating condition.

The register identifies sites that are most at risk of being lost and helps to ensure they are protected.

Historic England/James O Davies The front of the King Arthur's Great Halls. It has three storeys and is made of granite blocks. There are large bay windows on the ground floor and a bright green door, guttering and window frames. The second floor has large windows and a turret style feature in the centre. In the roof are three garret windows. A street sign reads FORE STREET.Historic England/James O Davies
The Great Hall was built between 1927 and 1933

King Arthur's Great Halls are made up of Trevena House, a large Victorian residence, and the Great Hall.

Built between 1927 and 1933, the Great Hall became the headquarters of the Fellowship of the Knights of the Round Table, a society dedicated to Arthurian values of honour and chivalry - and remains so today.

The halls have a collection of 73 stained-glass windows by artist Veronica Whall and 10 commissioned oil paintings by artist William Hatherell telling the story of King Arthur and his knights.

Tintagel is linked with the legendary king because, according to some legends, its castle was where he was born.

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