The Livery Hall

The present room was built in 1671 and still retains late-seventeenth-century carving.  Most of the heads under the windows are probably original, as are the coats of arms in the west screen. (The east screen dates only from 1822.)

The room was returned to its original appearance after the Second World War when the opportunity was taken to eliminate some of the more obvious Victorian alterations, including the stained glass.  The alcove in the north-east corner, now containing plate, was the original entrance to the Hall.  The ceiling was replaced in 1932-33 because of death watch beetle.  It was designed by George Alexander Gale, later the Company’s Surveyor, and modelled on the ceiling of the Old School Room at Winchester College.

The cement floored attic above it proved to be the salvation of the Hall from incendiaries during the Blitz. 

In August 2013 the ceiling was repainted in a stunning new colour scheme by Dolby & Taylor.