Late into the 13th century the Great Hall was built beside the northern curtain wall. This impressive hall was lit up by large windows and it had a view of the harbour and the Abbey of St. Mary's across the river.
The yellow steeple of the abbey still stands today. The span of the roof of the Great Hall was kept up by ornate oak rising from stone bases. The hall got heat from a central hearth. In 1367, on the orders of Edward the III, the Great Hall was enlarged with its pillars now supporting a new roof.