he Painted Hall in the Old Royal Naval College in Greenwich has been described as the ‘finest dining hall in Europe’.

Designed by Sir Christopher Wren and Nicholas Hawksmoor in 1696, it was originally intended as an dining space for the naval veterans who lived at what was then the Royal Hospital for Seamen. Its exuberant wall and ceiling decorations were painted by James Thornhill over the course of 18 years and pay tribute to British maritime power.

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DBR undertook Planned Preventative Maintenance of the Historic Fabric externally and internally consisting of masonry cleaning, conservation and repair. Paint conservation, repair and decoration of metalwork railings and repairs to floors in the Painted Hall and Chapel was also involved.

In the autumn of 2016, DBR Leadwork provided a Code 7 sandcast lead coverings to the Portland stone cornice of the Painted Hall’s dome. This leadwork was essential as the original stonework was deteriorating, and subsequent repairs had failed. This resulted in leaks into the interior fabric of the Hall. Most crucially, the lead covering prevented any further water damage on Thornhill’s remarkable ceiling.

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Take a look at this project on Instagram.

More projects by DBR Southern teams can be found <a href="”> here.