The ornate Elizabethan oak screen at the low end of the hall before World War II. The screen had 5 bays divided by Ionic columns, with reclining caryatids in the spandrels. It was dismantled in 1941 just before the bombing and reassembled after the war. 2 doors in the screen lead to adjacent rooms.

By kind permission of the Masters of the Bench of the Honourable Society of
Gray's Inn.

The Jacobean oak screen with 5 bays is now set against the S wall. The 2 doors in the second and fourth bays have been modernized.

(c) Image copyright the Honourable Society of
Lincoln's Inn. Not to be reproduced without permission.

Detail of the hall screens showing a section of the elaborate carved shutter-boards from the upper section of the screens, ca. 1959.

The porch tower opens directly onto the screens passage. 2 facing arched stone doorways at the N and S ends of the passage led into courtyards. 2 of the 4 doors at the E end of the screens passage connected with the medieval service rooms, the buttery and the pantry. One of the larger central doorways led into the passage to the kitchen, in a large square building adjacent. The 4th door nearest to the entrance porch led to a spiral staircase connecting with a small room above the porch and a larger one above the former service rooms.

The screen was designed by Weir, modelled (for lack of other evidence) on that in the Church House Inn, Torbryan.

The carved 'movable' wooden screen with its 3 elaborate ram's horn finials is the most remarkable feature of the hall. Its decorative scheme also includes religious iconographic elements: a winged angel above the 8 traceried panels facing the high end holds the Fitton heiress' coat of arms (on a bend sable 3 garbs) while another holding the Banastre coat of arms (cross patonce sable) faces the screens passage arcade.

The screen, standing in a 14' wide space between the speres, is 7' across, 7' 6' high and 4' 8' deep at the sides.

The screen, with its 2 doors, is original, presenting a good example of Jacobean woodwork.

The date 1605 is inlaid over the screen doorways. Dimensions of the screen are 20' 4 1/2' in length and 13' 7 1/2' high. The 2 doorways are 7' 1 1/2' at their highest point and 3' 3' at the widest.

In 1851 Barry renewed some lower sections of the screen and added sideboards with shelves and mirrors for china displays as decorative extensions at the corners of the gallery.

View of the panelled screen entrance through the double doors at the low end of the hall with a view of the edge of the fireplace on the N wall.

The screens passage is 8' 4' long and 26' wide. This additional length is not included in overall length of hall measurements.