Association Room

This impressive double storeyed room was until recently the kitchen of the College and Hospital. Lit by two lines of windows facing the courtyard, it contains the remains of two fireplaces on the north and east walls. The larger, in the north wall, has a fine joggled lintel with a tall relieving arch, above which are examples of cooking equipment. Recesses in the walls would have been used as storage for food.

Underneath the Association Room there is an extensive network of cellars which at one time gave access to the River Irk, an important transport link and source of food in the early days of the building’s history. Early drawings of this aspect of the College buildings show steps leading down to the riverbank and a boathouse.