Church of St Helen, South Wheatley, Nottinghamshire: Tree-Ring Analysis of Timbers from the Bellframe and Supporting Structure
Author(s): Dr Martin Bridge
Two beams supporting the bellframe were sampled but could not be dated. Nine bellframe timbers were sampled and found to cross-match, with three pairs of timbers each being found to have been derived from an individual parent tree. Thus, six series were combined to form a site chronology that was subsequently dated to the period AD 1579–1665. One timber retained complete sapwood and was found to have come from a tree felled in the summer AD 1666, whilst a second tree had detached sapwood, with very few missing rings, suggesting a felling date in the period c AD 1666–70. The other samples have similar likely felling dates and thus appear to be coeval, suggesting construction of the bellframe also occurred in the period AD 1666–70. Fragments of roof timbers and a screen were not sampled as they were found to have too few rings.
- Report Number:
- 25/2015
- Series:
- Research Report
- Pages:
- 12
- Keywords:
- Dendrochronology Standing Building
