The Guildhall, Middle Row, Chipping Norton, Oxfordshire: Tree-Ring Dating of Timbers from the Roof and Ground Floor
Author(s): Dr Martin Bridge, Cathy Tyers
Twelve cores were taken from timbers in the roof and at ground-floor level from the primary sections of the building, which has subsequently been extended south and north. Two were found to have too few rings for further analysis and one was of elm (Ulmus spp) and was also excluded. Eight of the remaining series cross-matched and were combined into a 171-year site chronology, subsequently dated to the period AD 1338–1508. Sapwood was complete on two cores, but the outermost rings were degraded and a short felling date range has therefore been derived based on the approximate number of rings present in these degraded sections. It appears that all the timbers were likely from trees felled at the same time, in AD 1514–20. Several purlins were thought to be later replacements but, of the two potentially later examples sampled, one was the elm sample and the other could not be dated independently. At least one of the purlins, however, was shown to be original to the roof.
- Report Number:
- 3/2020
- Series:
- Research Report
- Pages:
- 22
- Keywords:
- Dendrochronology Standing Building
