John Halle's Hall

[4] The entrance lobby from the street is two storeys high, with an open gallery with flat cut-out balusters along the south wall at first-floor level.

[4] The windows contain much original stained glass, including heraldic insignia and John Halle's merchant's mark.

On the east wall is a "splendid" stone fireplace with a frieze of quatrefoils,[5] one of which bears John Halle's merchant's mark.

[4] The ground-floor room is only one storey high, and has a ceiling with very heavily moulded beams (considered by the RCHM as re-set).

[4] "C15 with 1881 imitation timber front, elaborate framework, 3 storeys gabled, ornate carved bargeboards and finial.

8 light lattice casements to both floors, pargetting to side panels, carved beam ends to overhangs.

The remains of the Hall consist of an outer lobby 2 storeys high (the present Cinema entrance lobby) of timber framed structure restored, with an open gallery at 1st floor level and heavily beamed ceiling over 1st floor, this leads into the Hall which is in a fairly original state, of 2 storeys with open timber roof with elaborate cusped bracing pattern to purlins supported on moulded pointed arched beams.

The exterior of the east front is of ashlar stone with 2 moulded stone mullioned windows with pointed arched cusped heads to light set in rectangular frame of coved moulding, with small arched door to left hand of similar design, with trefoil spandrel ornament.

The west side of the Hall is of brick and flint and one small stone mullioned window to left hand with pointed cusped heads to lights.

A good deal of original stained glass, shields-of-arms and scrollwork, well restored and supplemented by Willement (Dean Woodforde).

Fisher, clerk of works for Salisbury Cathedral,[4] for Mr Sampson Payne, the client, a glass and china merchant.

[9][4] A book published the same year, Peter Hall's Picturesque Memorials of Salisbury, stated "..the restoration of this splendid and interesting room, which is now entirely choked with modern apartments, is the result of most careful survey and measurement, without any alteration whatever, beyond the removal of temporary and incongruous obstructions.

"[14] Another source states Pugin's work also involved the insertion of an oak screen with a single, central doorway at the southern end of the Hall, made from an old cabinet with carved figures, and that above this was a painting of an angel with a scroll and royal arms, executed by Pugin in eight hours without break.

An 1841 article mentions that "the hall...has been recently cleared of the modern apartments by which it was choked, and completely restored with the greatest taste and judgment under the direction of Mr. Fisher, clerk of works to the cathedral.

[4][5][13] The noted architectural historian Sir Nikolaus Pevsner was not a fan, describing the façade as "grossly overdone".

[5] An April 1881 newspaper account of the work noted that, before undertaking the new façade, "Messrs Watson and Godden, ... with praiseworthy spirit, first rebuilt the back portion of the premises.

The theatre was built with a Tudor theme, to match the splendid medieval foyer area, and opened on 7 September 1931.

Lithograph of the interior of John Halle's Hall by Robert Martin (fl. 1770s–1838), looking south, showing the Hall following the 1834 restoration work which removed the post-medieval and modern internal apartment divisions.
Interior of John Halle's Hall, looking south. The three doorways are not original medieval ones, but later additions. Photographed in 1935, when the hall was the foyer of the newly built Gaumont Cinema.
Lithograph of arms (left) and merchant's mark (right) of John Halle, in a stained glass window at John Halle's Hall, window in east wall.
The 1880–1881 mock-Tudor north façade of John Halle's Hall, leading into the Odeon Cinema. New Canal, Salisbury. Photographed in 2010.