The present Great hall was built by Countess Isabella de Fortibus or one of her predeccesors. Isabella was the last of the de Redvers family to hold the Isle of Wight, which she did from 1263 to 1293, and she was exceptionally active builder.
As the hub of the castle's domestic life, the hall was never a completely free-standing building but was linked to its kitche, which stood on the site of the later Carey's Mansion.