Quebec House, Westerham, Kent: Wood identification of a historical wooden games ball
Author(s): Zoë Hazell
A wooden games ball discovered during renovations at the National Trust’s Quebec House, in Westerham, Kent, underwent wood identification in order to determine which wood it was constructed from and why, and to help formulate an appropriate scientific dating approach. This was supplemented by some basic description and recording. The ball was identified as being made from Buxus sp. (box) and had been subjected to areas of wood loss via beetle infestation at some point in its history. Box is a hard, dense wood, suitable for use in an impact ball game of some sort; speculation has been that it was used for (proto) cricket, although other games such as pall mall (an early form of croquet) used boxwood balls.
- Report Number:
- 47/2024
- Series:
- Research Report
- Pages:
- 19
- Keywords:
- Wood
