TREE-RING ANALYSIS OF THE NAVE ROOF, WEST DOOR, AND PARISH CHEST FROM THE CHURCH OF ST MARY, KEMPLEY, GLOUCESTERSHIRE
Author(s): C Groves, Daniel Miles, Michael Worthington
Dendrochronological analysis was undertaken on samples from the nave roof, west door, and parish chest of the church of St Mary, Kempley, Gloucestershire. From the roof, twenty-four samples from eighteen timbers resulted in the production of two site chronologies. The earliest, representing the primary roof of the nave, has 79 rings and dates to the period AD 1036 - 1114, giving a combined felling date range of AD 1120 - 1150. Two samples from a repaired external truss from the same roof were combined to produce a second chronology of 57 rings, spanning the years AD 1290 - 1346, and giving a combined felling date range of AD 1357 - 1387. Two planks from the west door of the nave were sampled using a micro-borer and a 140-ring chronology was produced spanning the years AD 959-1099 and giving a felling date range of AD 1114 - 1144. Finally the Kempley chest was similarly sampled with the micro-borer. From this, radii were combined to produce a 140-year mean spanning the years AD 1329 - 1468. By taking into account unmeasured heartwood rings, a felling date range of AD 1492 - 1522 is given. The dendrochronology has shown the nave roof of Kempley to be the earliest extant timber roof to be scientifically dated in Britain, and probably the earliest open roof in north-west Europe.
- Report Number:
- 36/1999
- Series:
- AML Reports (New Series)
- Pages:
- 33
- Keywords:
- Dendrochronology Standing Building
