GREAT HALL OF THE MONASTERY

Walking along the Gallery you will come to the Bishop's house on the left, once the Great Hall of the Monastery. The house is private, but from it's gateway you can get the best view of the Octagon and Lantern in the centre of the Cathedral. The original Norman tower collapsed in 1322 and was replaced by this Octagon and the Lantern, which took 30 years and 8 huge oaks to build! It's framework is unique in the world, estimated to weigh 400 tons, and once included a set of bells. It is a medieval engineering feat still much admired by modern architects and builders.