Tree-Ring Analysis of Timbers from Meare Manor Farmhouse, St Mary's Road, Meare, Somerset
Author(s): Dr Martin Bridge
This property was the fourteenth-century summer residence of the Abbots of Glastonbury. Eight large oak floor beams support the first floor in the chapel and hall ranges, and six of these were investigated here. Five long ring-width series crossmatched each other well and the resulting site chronology had a most likely felling date range of AD 1315 - 43. One timber lost a few outer rings on coring, but this indicates that felling was likely to be in the earlier years of this range. This result is consistent with documentary evidence that suggests the most likely time of construction was during the abbacy of Adam de Sodbury, AD 1322 - 35. The site chronology gives strongest matches with two other local sites of similar age which were also part of the Glastonbury Abbey properties. A remnant stub of cruck embedded in the east wall of the Hall range, and a number of floor joists in the porch were also investigated, but failed to date.
- Report Number:
- 103/2002
- Series:
- CfA Reports
- Pages:
- 10
- Keywords:
- Dendrochronology Standing Building
