New roof to enclose Norwich's crumbling St Andrew's Hall

The 700-year-old Saint Andrew’s Hall, in St Andrews Street, will also undergo “intrusive investigations”, with new holes cut into walls and ceilings to ensure the site is able to take the scaffolding required for extensive repairs, and to look for suitable sites for a new lift.

The new roof will be built to allow the project to get under way.

The hall, and neighbouring Blackfriars' Hall, need urgent repairs, with fears they could close within two years if work is not done.

Cordons have been placed around windows (Image: George Thompson, LDR) (Image: George Thompson, LDR)

A recent report said the walls, roof and stained glass windows are all at-risk.

The historic spaces are set to benefit from a £3.6m funding deal that will allow the renovations to be completed.

A planning application submitted to Norwich City Council said trial holes will have to be cut to “investigate load-bearing capacity”.

“This information will be required by the structural engineer to develop a proposal for the scaffolding that will need to be erected to complete the works and the conservation repairs to the roofs and the windows. 

"Such scaffolding will also require a temporary roof over St Andrew’s Hall to allow the opening-up of the roof to complete conservation repairs.”

There will also be a “careful cut-through” of the modern suspended ceiling and walls in part to determine where a lift could be installed.

The application said: “The investigations will be essential to determine the existence or otherwise of a historic doorway for possible reuse for the proposed new lift.”  

t Andrew’s Hall Plain cordons (Image: George Thompson, LDR) (Image: George Thompson, LDR)

At the same time, paint samples will be analysed to see if any original material is surviving. It is suspected St Andrew’s was previously decorated in “bold and rich colours”. 

The application will be decided by the council in due course.

THE HALLS: A HISTORY

The Halls were originally constructed by the Friars Penitential in the early 1300s before the site was taken over by the Dominicans, or Black Friars.  

Parts of the Halls have been rebuilt over the years, with extensive works in the 14th and 15th centuries.  

Historic England describes the buildings as “the most complete surviving medieval friary in England and one of only 15 friaries to retain significant upstanding remains”. 

During the Reformation in the 1500s, the building was taken over by the city for civic events, with the first mayor’s feast held there in 1544.

Following that it was used for guild meetings, as an assize court and corn exchange, while the Earl of Warwick stabled his horses there when he came to crush Kett's rebellion in 1549. 

From 1712 to 1859 part of the cloister served as a workhouse and in 1716 the south porch was used as England’s first public lending library. 

St Andrew’s is now one of the largest indoor venues in the city, with a seating capacity of 900.

In the past, it has hosted readings by Charles Dickens and performances by 19th century superstar opera singer Jenny Lind.