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Prior to undertaking repairs to the plasterwork, careful investigative work was undertaken to identify the age, composition and condition of the existing plaster.
This involved removing more recent additions including as false ceilings to exposed areas of plasterwork.
After close inspection, the ornate plasterwork in the Hall was found to be in reasonably good condition, and required only minimal repair. In stark contrast, the plasterwork to the ceilings above the external colonnade was in poor condition and extensive plaster repairs were needed.
The investigative work also revealed
- The wall plaster was three inches thick in places.
- The initial layers contained hair, as Georgian and Victorian builders used cow and other animal hair to bind and strengthen the plasters and renders.
- Graffiti dating from 1855 on the ground floor vaulting, possibly by the people who did the first decoration.
Scaffolding constructed with timber poles and hemp bindings were the order of the day in the early 19th century, as can be seen in many pen and ink sketches of this period.
By the end of the First World War, the original Hall ceiling had fallen into a great state of disrepair. In 1927, the original ceiling was removed and a new ceiling made to the designs of Sir Charles Callom, an interior designer best known for his designs for ocean liners.
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