TREE-RING ANALYSIS OF TIMBERS FROM THORLEY HALL, BISHOP'S STORTFORD, HERTFORDSHIRE
Author(s): Alison Arnold, Robert Howard, R R Laxton, Cliff Litton
Twenty-nine samples were taken from timbers of the aisled hall, and alterations made to it, and the roof of the cross-wing at this building; fifteen of these were not analysed because of their short ring-width sequences. The analysis carried out on the remaining fourteen samples resulted in the construction of two site chronologies. The first, THOHSQ01, of 56 rings was matched at a first ring date of AD 1198 and a last-ring date of AD 1253. One of the two samples making up this sequence has complete sapwood and a last-ring date of AD 1253, this being the felling date for the timber represented. The heartwood/sapwood boundary ring date of the second sample is also consistent with a felling date of AD 1253. The second site chronology, THOHSQ03, of 101 rings, containing eleven samples, was found to span the period AD 1275-AD 1375. Interpretation of the heartwood/sapwood boundaries on those timbers represented gives an estimated felling date range of AD 1383-AD 1403. A further sample, THO-H20, was successfully dated individually, to a first-ring date of AD 1326 and a last-ring date of AD 1392, with an estimated felling date for the timber of c AD 1397. The earlier site chronology contains samples from the aisled hall; the timbers represented are from trees felled in c AD 1253/4. This site chronology only relates to two timbers and so should not be used as positive dating of the hall itself. The second site chronology, and the individually dated samples, are from the cross-wing and the low tiebeam in the aisled hall. These samples are from timbers which are estimated to have been felled in c AD 1397, indicating that the cross-wing was built and low tiebeam inserted at or soon after this date.
- Report Number:
- 61/2001
- Series:
- CfA Reports
- Pages:
- 22
- Keywords:
- Dendrochronology Standing Building
