Burneside Hall, Hall Road, Burneside nr Kendal, Cumbria: Tree-ring Analysis of Oak Timbers
Author(s): Alison Arnold, Robert Howard, Cathy Tyers
Dendrochronological analysis has resulted in the dating of 39 timbers from the hall, cross-wing, and gatehouse, including the ex situ gates. The earliest identified timbers are within the cross-wing where the principal rafters from the westernmost truss were dated as felled during the period AD 1478–1503; the timber used within the ex situ gates may also date to this period, these having terminus post quem dates for felling of AD 1422, AD 1435, AD 1437, and AD 1472. The bulk of the dated timbers were felled approximately a century later with the majority of the timber utilised within the hall roof being felled in AD 1579–1604, although a single timber is potentially slightly later, dating to AD 1595–1620. Broadly coeval with the hall roof is a single partition timber within the hall, dated to AD 1582–1607, and the gatehouse roof and floor, dating to AD 1584–1609 and AD 1590–1615 respectively. The latest timbers identified represent a second phase of the crosswing roof dating to AD 1612–37. These timbers are in the central area of the roof, apart from a single purlin in the western roof area. A floor beam from the first-floor structure in the central area of the cross-wing is also thought to belong to this phase of work dating to AD 1605–30, as is a single timber utilised within the hall stairs, which was felled in AD 1605–30.
- Report Number:
- 51/2019
- Series:
- Research Report
- Pages:
- 58
- Keywords:
- Dendrochronology Standing Building
