TREE-RING ANALYSIS OF TIMBERS FROM PRIORY BARN, LITTLE WYMONDLEY, HERTFORDSHIRE
Author(s): Dr Martin Bridge
Before this dendrochronological study was undertaken it was widely believed that the barn was of early to mid fifteenth-century construction, relating to the Augustinian priory known to have existed on the site. Radiocarbon measurements produced in the AD 1960s were at the time estimated to relate to probable historical ages of c AD 1265 and c AD 1625 or AD 1425. Re-used timbers found in the roof of the extant barn are of late fourteenth-century date (likely felling period AD 1373-95) and may relate to an earlier barn. The timbers for the present barn were found to have been cut in the winter of AD 1540-1, when the post-Dissolution estate was owned by James Nedeham (or Needham), Surveyor of the King's Works to Henry VIII. Amongst the sixteenth-century dated timbers were battens nailed to the main framing posts to which weather-boarding was attached, the common studs being set about 20mm in from the external face, making the weather-boarded panels flush, an interesting transition from vertically inset boards to fully external feather-edged weather-boarding. The north porch, although of different design to the south porch, was found to be broadly contemporaneous, although the timbers may have come from a different location to the remainder of timber used in this phase of building. The lean-to at the west end failed to date. The site chronologies formed, although relatively short, gave exceptionally strong crossmatching with the available reference material.
- Report Number:
- 18/2001
- Series:
- CfA Reports
- Pages:
- 23
- Keywords:
- Dendrochronology Standing Building
