Exeter Cathedral has received a major grant of £100k from the Architectural Heritage Fund (AHF) to support the essential restoration and conservation of the historic Medieval Hall. This grant has been awarded through the AHF’s Heritage Revival Fund, delivered in partnership with the Department for Culture, Media and Sport and Historic England.
Exeter Cathedral receives Architectural Heritage Fund grant to transform historic Medieval Hall.
Located on Cathedral Close opposite the cathedral, the Hall features a rare architectural survival, a 15th century wooden carved ceiling that is a miniature copy of the hammer beam roof of Westminster Hall, London.
Recently acquired by Exeter Cathedral, the Grade I listed building is also known as the ‘Law Library’ due to the space being sublet to the Exeter Law Library Society at the end of the 19th century.
Once the work is complete, the Medieval Hall will become a welcoming space used for events and community gatherings, as well as educational classes and activities. Works will include dealing with the invasive damp issues, installing accessible WCs, and introducing a more efficient heating system and insulation measures to help work towards net-zero.
The Architectural Heritage Fund works to promote the conservation and sustainable re-use of historic buildings for the benefit of communities across the UK.
Laura Williams, England Development Manager at the Architectural Heritage Fund, said:
“We are so pleased the Heritage Revival Fund can support plans to restore Exeter’s historic Medieval Hall. This is a gem of a building but mostly vacant and underused. Now, the conservation and redevelopment led by Exeter Cathedral will help transform it into a thriving community space.”
The conservation of the Medieval Hall is part of phase two of Exeter Cathedral’s ‘Investing in Our Welcome’ project, which aims to make sure that the cathedral’s historic buildings are welcoming to everyone and preserved for future generations to use and enjoy.
The cathedral’s Director of Development, Jill Taylor, is delighted with the support:
“The Medieval Hall is a hidden historic treasure in the heart of the city, we aim to create a welcoming space so as to be able to share this wonderful Hall with a wider audience.
“We are immensely grateful to the Architectural Heritage Fund for this important grant, it will enable us to start the preparation work to transform the historic hall into a space that can be used for a great variety of community activities.”
