TREE-RING ANALYSIS OF TIMBERS FROM THE CHURCH OF ST MARY MAGDALENE, DEBENHAM, SUFFOLK

Author(s): Dr Martin Bridge

A number of ex situ samples from the nave roof were identified on-site during recent repair work. Though the timbers were found to have unusually sensitive tree-ring series (ie their year-to-year variations were higher than average), six of the timbers subsequently dated. Only two timbers exhibited a heartwood-sapwood boundary. If all the dated timbers are considered to be a single group of primary timbers, their felling date range of AD 1397 -AD 1409 would suggest that the roof was constructed a little earlier than had been suggested on stylistic grounds. A second site chronology consisting of three timbers failed to date, as did some individual series, though all of these showed similar ring characteristics to the dated samples, strongly suggesting that they migt have been contemporaneous with the dated timbers.

Report Number:
43/2001
Series:
CfA Reports
Pages:
16
Keywords:
Dendrochronology Standing Building

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