The Carpenters Hall

It's open house weekend, the three days once a year we get an opportunity to see inside many buildings generally closed to the public.  Yesterday I went to the building of the "Worshipful Company of Carpenters".  The earliest records of the Master Carpenters dates back to 1271 and the first official hall was built in 1429.

These panels featuring the Company's coat of arms is believed to have survived and come from the entrance of the first hall.

In 1941 a bomb fell on London Wall, igniting a gas main and set fire to the building.  Fortunately most of the treasures inside were saved.  However it was not until 1956 that it was rebuilt.

Taking 4 years to build the new hall was designed to be a showcase for its members skills and also features beautiful timbers from around the world.