Illustration of Great Hall, Bishop's Palace, St. Davids
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 Cutaway illustration of the great hall, provided by Welsh Heritage (CADW). This view is from the south side, on the exterior of the palace complex. This is the most impressive chamber in the palace. Here, distinguished guests who had come on pilgrimage to St. Davids would be accommodated and entertained. Its fine architectural features include a beautiful wheel window (perhaps inspired by Merton College, Oxford, where Bishop Gower was a fellow) and collection of carved corbels on the exterior parapet. Inside, all the stone was covered in plaster. Although there are no signs of elaborate decoration, a fragment of yellow ochre wash has been identified in the adjacent great chamber. The long, blank southern wall (the part cut away in this drawing, which had just one window) would have allowed for rich woven or tapestry hangings, adding color and warmth to the room. There is no fireplace in the room, which means there must have been a central hearth with a louvred chimney in the roof above to allow the smoke to escape. Somewhat old-fashioned by the 14th century, such an arrangement may have increased the drama and the sense of feasting in an ancient hall. In the east wall (half cut away in this diagram) is a very attractive wheel window, which survives today. Carved in limestone quarried in the Bath region, the composition is of 16 radiating "daggers" set around a central quatrefoil. Note that the outer ring, carved with flowers, has a pronounced eccentric curve. It would appear that Gower's master mason deliberately did this so when viewed from below it would appear perfectly circular. The window itself was doubtless filled with painted glass, and we can perhaps imagine the morning sun casting a great pool of color on the tiled floor of the great hall. See the next photo for more about the feasts held here. |
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