TREE-RING ANALYSIS OF TIMBERS FROM WORCESTER CATHEDRAL, WORCESTER

Author(s): Robert Howard, R R Laxton, Cliff Litton

A total of ninety-eight samples from the eastern roofs of Worcester Cathedral were analysed by tree-ring dating. This analysis produced six site chronologies. The first site chronology, WORCSQ01, consisting of forty-five samples, has 287 rings and spans the period AD 1443 - AD 1729. Interpretation of the sapwood on these samples indicates felling dates between AD 1724 and AD 1729. This shows that a substantial rebuilding or repair programme was undertaken in the choir, the north-east and south-east transepts, and in the crossing between the transepts at this time. This site chronology includes several timbers felled in AD 1650 - 3 and shows that some earlier material was incorporated in the eighteenth-century rebuilding programme. The second site chronology, WORCSQ02, consists of eighteen samples from timbers showing evidence of reuse. This site chronology has 191 rings spanning the period AD 1057 - AD 1247. The third site chronology, WORCSQ03, consisting of eleven samples from timbers which again show evidence of reuse, has 116 rings spanning the period AD 1096 - AD 1211. Interpretation of the sapwood on these two site chronologies combined indicates a range of felling dates in the early- to mid-thirteenth century, between about AD 1225 and AD 1260. Other later thirteenth-century material is represented by site chronology WORCSQ06. This is made up of two samples and has 77 rings spanning the period AD 1174 - AD 1250. The timbers represented have an estimated felling date in the range AD 1264 - AD 1299. The fourth site chronology, WORCSQ04, consists of four samples with 85 rings. This site chronology failed to date. The fifth site chronology, WORCSQ05, is made up of two samples with 97 rings. This site chronology also failed to date.

Report Number:
42/2000
Series:
AML Reports (New Series)
Pages:
84
Keywords:
Dendrochronology Standing Building

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