TREE-RING ANALYSIS OF TIMBERS FROM CHETHAMS LIBRARY AND SCHOOL, LONG MILLGATE, MANCHESTER
Author(s): Ian Tyers
Chethams Library and School is located in the centre of Manchester. The building was founded in AD 1421 as the domestic premises of the priests college serving the adjacent parish church, which is now Manchester Cathedral. Following suppression of the college during the reign of Edward VI it was acquired by the Stanleys, Earls of Derby, and used as a residence. The building was confiscated during the civil war and it was acquired by the executors of Humphrey Chetham (d AD 1653) in AD 1654. It was converted into a school for poor boys and a public library using the Chethams bequest by AD 1656 and AD 1661 respectively. Both organisations continue to occupy this remarkable building. Tree-ring sampling of parts of the structure was commissioned to inform repair decisions. The results indicate that almost all the accessible timber structure throughout the cloistral ranges includes fifteenth century material. The high levels of decoration have removed most of the sapwood and detailed differences in chronology have mostly proved impracticable to identify, although there are hints of differences in construction date between a number of areas. Two sixteenth century timers have been identified in one area of the cloisters, perhaps indicating Stanley-era modifications.
- Report Number:
- 5/2002
- Series:
- CfA Reports
- Pages:
- 37
- Keywords:
- Dendrochronology Standing Building
