TREE-RING ANALYSIS OF TIMBERS FROM THE OLD RECTORY, WITHINGTON, GLOUCESTERSHIRE
Author(s): Robert Howard, R R Laxton, Cliff Litton
Dendrochronological analysis was undertaken of samples from twenty-one oak timbers from The Old Rectory, Withington. This resulted in the production of one dated site chronology and two undated site sequences. The dated site chronology, WTHASQ03, is composed of eleven samples from timbers of the roof and first floor of the northern portion of the west range. This has 178 rings, and spans the period AD 1252-1429. Interpretation of the sapwood on the samples in this site chronology indicates that the timbers from both the roof and the first floor were felled at the same time in AD 1429. The first undated site sequence, WTHASQ04, has 121 rings and is composed of two samples, both from timbers of the first floor. The second undated site sequence, WTHASQ05, has 92 rings and is composed of two samples from the cruck truss in the southern portion of the west range. A single sample, WTH-A20, from the cruck truss, has 59 rings. This was dated as spanning the period AD 1219 to AD 1277. It is not possible to estimate its felling date range since the heartwood/sapwood boundary did not survive on this timber due to the heavy moulding. The date of the cruck truss cannot therefore be determined, but it would appear to belong to an early building phase on this site dating to sometime after AD 1277.
- Report Number:
- 38/1998
- Series:
- AML Reports (New Series)
- Pages:
- 20
- Keywords:
- Dendrochronology Standing Building
