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Photo: Ely Cathedral
by June Francis.
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Wikipedia article on Windsor Guildhall.
The myth of the columns
There is a myth that the Borough Council required Wren to place additional columns in the centre of the covered area, but that, because he regarded them as unnecessary, Wren deliberately left a gap at the top of each column.
In fact, no drawing made before the building of the rear extension in 1829–30 shows any trace of these columns. They were removed from the rear of the building during the construction of the extension and placed inside the covered area.
They were not quite tall enough to reach the ceiling and careful examination shows that the gaps are filled with tiles smaller than the capitals.[1]
The story is suspiciously similar to one told about Isambard Kingdom Brunel and Maidenhead Railway Bridge. Brunel was confident that his elegant arches were technically sound, but, according to the story, others were less sure and the wooden centring was left in place for some time.
An additional detail, that the centring was eased away from the brickwork to make it ineffective, is probably a myth.
Notes.
- See Pamela Marson & Brigitte Mitchell: Windsor Guildhall: History and Tour, 2011, Friends of the Windsor & Royal Borough Museum, ISBN 978-0-9526678-3-4 p.7ff.
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