Church of St George, Church Lane, Modbury, Devon: Tree-Ring Analysis of Oak Timbers
Author(s): Alison Arnold, Robert Howard, Cathy Tyers
Dendrochronological analysis was undertaken on 68 of the 90 core samples obtained from timbers in the nave, north aisle, chancel, Lady Chapel, and vestry roofs of the Church of St George, Modbury. The remaining 22 samples were found to have too few rings for reliable dating. This analysis produced two site chronologies. The first site chronology comprises 48 samples with an overall length of 198 rings and includes timbers from all five roofs sampled. These rings were dated as spanning the years AD 1343–1540. Interpretation of the sapwood on these dated samples suggests that all are broadly coeval with the majority likely to have been felled in the mid-sixteenth century. This indicates a major episode of reroofing of the church undertaken in the mid-sixteenth century. A second site chronology of two samples, 101 rings long, could not be dated. Eighteen of the measured samples remain ungrouped and undated.
- Report Number:
- 70/2017
- Series:
- Research Report
- Pages:
- 56
- Keywords:
- Dendrochronology Standing Building
