THE first major repairs in 90 years to the Grade II* listed King Arthur's Great Halls in Tintagel, Cornwall, have been completed, supported by a £168,000 grant from Historic England.

Devon-based traditional specialist builders Bramhill completed the reroofing of the front of the Great Halls using slate sourced from nearby Trevillett Quarry, supporting heritage crafts skills and sustainable building practices.

King Arthur’s Great Halls is one of Cornwall’s most distinctive buildings. It comprises Trevena House, a large Victorian residence, with a purpose-built Great Hall at the rear. The Great Hall was added between 1927 and 1933 for London businessman and founder of the Fellowship of the Knights of the Round Table, Frederick Thomas Glasscock. The Halls became the headquarters for the Fellowship, a society dedicated to Arthurian values of honour and chivalry.

The Halls feature 73 stained-glass windows by artist Veronica Whall (1887-1967), the largest collection of her work anywhere in the world and widely considered to be one of the finest examples of Arts and Crafts stained-glass windows. There is also a series of ten specially commissioned oil paintings by artist William Hatherell (1855-1928), telling the story of King Arthur and his Knights.

King Arthur's Great Halls was first listed at Grade II in 1987. It was upgraded to Grade II* in July 2021 in recognition of its outstanding architecture and decoration, placing it among the top 6% of listed buildings in England.

The project began in January, and despite the winter storms that affected the north Cornwall coast, the work progressed smoothly and on schedule.

The repairs have stopped water getting into the building, preventing further damage to its historically significant interiors, but further works are needed.

Further major work is needed to remove the Halls from the Register. Plans are in development for the next phase, including reroofing the rest of the Great Hall and specialist conservation of the historic wall paintings and stained glass.

Ross Simmonds, South West regional director at Historic England, said: "Our funding for these repairs is an important investment in Cornwall's cultural heritage. King Arthur's Great Halls is a remarkable example of Cornwall's distinctive architecture and craftsmanship, and it’s well-placed to play a vital role in the region’s visitor economy. We’re pleased that the main building is now watertight, weatherproof, and open for 2025.”

John Moore, custodian at King Arthur’s Great Halls, added: “On behalf of King Arthur’s Halls Ltd committee, I would like to thank Historic England for their grant and support, along with everyone else who has been involved in this project, in enabling this wonderful building to be preserved for the future.”

Jeremy Chadburn, the conservation architect, said: “I am both delighted and relieved that we find ourselves with a watertight main building, thanks to the Historic England grant. The building houses many important paintings, fabrics and artefacts produced for this unique collection which are now safe from water damage. We can now start to plan the next repairs.”