In the 1800's, an extensive renovation or "restoration" was undertaken at Hampton Court. It was during this time that the stain glass seen today was installed in the windows of the Great Hall. Thomas Willement designed all the stained glass, showing the ancestry of Henry VIII's wives as well as Henry VIII's and Wolsey's. The glass was installed in the 1840's and remains today.
The impressive "hammer beamed" style ceiling was used in the Great Hall. Though this ceiling is mostly for aesthetics, originally hammer beamed ceilings were used to support large vaulted ceilings. The beams were carved with heraldic symbols and painted and gilded to shine brightly. The wood used for the ceiling in the Great Hall naturally kept cobwebs away.
Above: Detail of the beam supports. You can see the Tudor rose on the bottom.
Like the second story windows, the two story bay window, sitting on the dais, contained 19th Century stained glass showing the ancestry of Henry VIII and his wives.
Great Hall Tapestries
The set of tapestries at Hampton Court comprise of 10 individual hangings titled "The Story of Abraham." The Tapestries were commisioned by Henry VIII and completed in 1544. They were first displaced in 1546 for the visit of the French Ambassadors. From primary sources, it seems the tapestries were only hung for special occasions and probably created for the Great Hall at Hampton Court as it is the only room they fit in and was where they were stored.
For more information on the tapestries (including pictures and positioning of the tapestries) go to the Hampton Court Tapestries Page (Coming Soon!)
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