'The hall roof was a massive wooden one, apparently of low pitch, and of five bays. The second bay is narrower than the rest to sustain the lantern over the fire, which originally burned upon a stone hearth carried by the large pillar in the basement. The principal beams were supported by braces springing from bold corbels between the windows and in the middle of each end. These corbels differ in section along the two sides of the hall, and those on the south side have deep chases above them for the wall pieces.... About 6 feet above the corbels an almost continuous row of a smaller series extends along each side to carry the wall plates.'