European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - August 5, 1993, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Great Brit Init s an awesome sight but probably not the real thing by Nancy  . Bureau the giant table hanging on the West Wall of the great Hall is round but whether it is King Arthur s legendary round table is doubtful. The great Hall was built in 1222 and was one of the newer additions to the Winchester Castle Complex. It is just South of where High Street turns into Romsey Road and it is the Only building of the former Castle that still is intact although some ruins of the old Castle have been excavated and can be seen near the creat Hall. The Castle was built by William the conqueror but was not used As a. Main residence until about 1100, during Henry i s reign. The Castle lost importance As a Royal stronghold during the 14th and 15th centuries and in 1607 it became the private residence of sir Benjamin Tichborne. However the Castle was returned to the Crown in about 1635 and 1 d years later it came under siege from Oliver Cromwell whose Council of state decided in 1649 that the Castle s defences should be dismantled to assure that it would never again pose a serious threat to the Commonwealth Many of the Castle s Walls and towers were torn Down in 1651. The great Hall which escaped destruction was used for holding courts of Law throughout most of its history. The most recent proceedings were held there in the Early 1970s and involved various cases of members of the Irish Republican army. Today the great Hall is used primarily As an exhibition Hall. It also is the permanent Home of the round table. The table is believed to have been hanging in Winchester since about 1463. Although few people have Ever seriously believed the table was made in the fifth or sixth centuries the presumed age of King Arthur there have been questions about its actual age whether it had Ever been used As a table and How it came to be hanging on the Wall. Some of these questions were answered in 1976 when the table was taken Down during renovations to the great Hall and examined. Getting the table off the Wall was no Small task since it measures 18 feet in diameter and weighs More than a ton. At first glance the table resembles a giant Dart Board. It is painted with 24 s43 a tvs Dato the round table it which measures 18 feet across and weighs More than a ton hangs in the great Hall in Winchester. Spokes of alternating White and Green colors Between outer and inner rings. The outer ring contains the names of King Arthur s knights and the inner ring contains some words in old English. The Center Bull s Eye is actually a red and White Tudor Rose. The top two spokes Are partially covered by a painting of a King sitting in a throne underneath a canopy and the words Quot King Arthur Quot Are painted next to the figure s head. The style of the canopy dates the painting to the Early 16th Century and historical records show that the table was repainted in 1789. A rays of the table revealed a nearly a _. Identical painting underneath leading those who studied the table to believe that it was painted about three centuries after it was constructed. The a rays also revealed that the face on the original painting resembles that of a Young bearded Henry Viii. The Back of the table revealed that at one time it was supported by 12 outer legs. It also was constructed with a huge inner support system that those who examined the table believe was the work of a Mill Wright. The table was by it with 121 separate pieces of Oak and samples taken from the table showed that at least seven Oak Trees were used in its construction. Tree rings which show the age of a tree were studied to determine an approximate Date that the most recent tree was felled to make the table. This method of dating Trees showed that the table was made Between about 1250 and 1280. A second Type of dating method collaborated that the table was constructed during the same 13th-Century period. This method is based on the principal that All living matter has a known amount of the radioactive isotope of Carbon which decays at a known rate from the moment of death. The decay was measured to determine when the Trees died. August 5, 1993 stripes Magazine