New College, Oxford. Tree-Ring Dating of the Bell Tower and Cloister Door.
Author(s): Daniel Miles, Michael Worthington
Two elements of the Bell Tower at New College, Oxford, were studied: the structural timberwork forming the floors within the tower and the main pair of doors leading into the tower from the cloister. Nine timbers from the floor structure were sampled, four of which matched together to form the 121-ring site master NWCOLLG1, spanning the years AD 1276–1396. Two samples were felled during the summer or autumn of AD 1394, whilst a further sample was felled during the spring of AD 1397. The fourth sample produced a felling date range broadly contemporary with these precise felling dates. Four samples taken from the cloister doors all dated and were combined to form the 272-ringsite master NWCOLLG2 spanning the years AD 1086–1357. The analysis showed that the timber used to make the door was of Baltic origin. Only heartwood was present in the samples so only a felled-after date of AD 1368 could be given for the timbers used in the construction of the door. These dates accord well with documentary accounts in the college archives for the construction of the tower and door in AD 1397.
- Report Number:
- 56/2006
- Series:
- Research Department Reports
- Pages:
- 23
- Keywords:
- Dendrochronology Standing Building
