The Great Hall (Bishop's residence)

The Great Hall (Bishop's residence), The College

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Overview

Heritage Category:
Listed Building
Grade:
I
List Entry Number:
1167260
Date first listed:
23-Sept-1950
List Entry Name:
The Great Hall (Bishop's residence)
Statutory Address:
The Great Hall (Bishop's residence), The College
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Location

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Date:
2005-04-07
Reference:
IOE01/13273/10
Rights:
© Mr Alan Francis Polaine. Source: Historic England Archive

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Official list entry

Heritage Category:
Listed Building
Grade:
I
List Entry Number:
1167260
Date first listed:
23-Sept-1950
Date of most recent amendment:
19-Jun-1972
List Entry Name:
The Great Hall (Bishop's residence)
Statutory Address 1:
The Great Hall (Bishop's residence), The College

The scope of legal protection for listed buildings

This List entry helps identify the building designated at this address for its special architectural or historic interest.

Unless the List entry states otherwise, it includes both the structure itself and any object or structure fixed to it (whether inside or outside) as well as any object or structure within the curtilage of the building.

For these purposes, to be included within the curtilage of the building, the object or structure must have formed part of the land since before 1st July 1948.

Understanding list entries

Corrections and minor amendments

The scope of legal protection for listed buildings

This List entry helps identify the building designated at this address for its special architectural or historic interest.

Unless the List entry states otherwise, it includes both the structure itself and any object or structure fixed to it (whether inside or outside) as well as any object or structure within the curtilage of the building.

For these purposes, to be included within the curtilage of the building, the object or structure must have formed part of the land since before 1st July 1948.

Understanding list entries

Corrections and minor amendments

Location

Statutory Address:
The Great Hall (Bishop's residence), The College

The building or site itself may lie within the boundary of more than one authority.

County:
Cambridgeshire
District:
East Cambridgeshire (District Authority)
Parish:
Ely
National Grid Reference:
TL 54054 80174

Details

TL 5479
2/91

THE COLLEGE
The Great Hall (Bishop's residence)

(formerly listed as part of Guest Hall and subsidiary buildings including Headmaster's House)

23.9.50.

GV
The Great Hall (Bishop's residence), is part of a block of buildings including the Queen's Hall (Headmaster's House), which adjoins on the south west (qv). The Great Hall, or Guest Hall was built in the mid C13 and was remodelled in the early C14. During the Commonwealth it was subdivided into three storeys. It is built above a fine vaulted undercroft with ribbed vaults rising from plain columns without capitals. The hall is of five bays and was spanned by an open roof with arched principals and wind braces. (Some still remain). The fine stone corbels to the principals, carved in the shape of crouching figures, survive.

It is built of Carr stone rubble with Barnack or similar, stone dressings and has a parapet and stringcourse and stopped end gables. The west gable has a sexfoil window, possibly of C13 origin, reset. The massive central chimney stack of the hall projects on the north side, with three offsets and one of the original pointed arched windows survives to the east of the chimney stack. On the east end the south wall of the Monks Kitchen has survived, with a tall semi-circular arch (blocked) and triple shafted piers with scolloped capitals. North of this stands the porch and staircase which led to the Great Hall. The interior, although altered, has C13 and C14 features.

The Great Hall (Bishop's residence), the Queen's Hall (Headmaster's House), Wall to the garden of the Bishop's residence, Guest Quarters of the Monastery, Walls to the Guest Quarters of the Monastery and Ely Porta, Prior's House (Boarding House of the King's School), Prior Crauden's Chapel, Walls to the garden of the Prior's House, Ely Porta, Barn and Storehouse of the Monastery and wall to the Barn and Storehouse form a group with Bishop's Palace, Walls to the Bishop's Palace, and Nos 2 to 8 (consec) and No 9 (stable to Bishop's Palace), The Gallery. See also general group description under the Cathedral of The Holy Trinity.

Listing NGR: TL5405480174

Legacy

The contents of this record have been generated from a legacy data system.

Legacy System number:
48695
Legacy System:
LBS

Legal

This building is listed under the Planning (Listed Buildings and Conservation Areas) Act 1990 as amended for its special architectural or historic interest.

Ordnance survey map of The Great Hall (Bishop's residence)

Map

This map is for quick reference purposes only and may not be to scale. This copy shows the entry on 07-Jun-2026 at 09:29:17.

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© Crown copyright [and database rights] 2026. OS AC0000815036. Use of this mapping is subject to Terms and Conditions.

End of official list entry

All text content is available under the Open Government Licence v3.0 , except where otherwise stated. Any supplied maps are © Crown Copyright [and database rights] 2026 OS AC0000815036 and may not be reproduced without permission.

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