Late 12th and early 13th century aisled buildings: a comparison (Part 3)

John Walker

From: Vernacular Architecture 30 (1999), 21-53

DETAILS OF EIGHT BUILDINGS WITH TIMBERS FELLED 1167-1230 (continued)

Westwick Cottage, St Michael, Hertfordshire (1184-1219)

(Figs. 2c, 4d, 20)

Map ref: TL 092066

This is small timber-framed aisled hall, and not a manor house, though the site of the manor house is unknown. The timbers were felled between 1184 and 1219; two arcade posts and one arcade brace yielded dates (Footnote 57).

Fig. 20. Westwick Cottage, St Michael, Herts (partly based on drawings by Alan Greening)

Plan

Two unequal bays of an open hall survive, running north east to south west, plus part of another inline bay to the south west. Three trusses remain - the central open truss, south west of this a closed truss with grooves for boarding infill, and another open truss to the north east. The latter has passing braces rising from arcade posts which are octagonal below the capital as on the central truss, but there is no tie-beam. It looks like a 'spere' truss.

The building is relatively very small - 14ft (4.3m) wide between the arcade plates, the south west bay 11ft 10in (3.6m) long between arcade posts, the north east 9ft 10in (3m), and the top of the arcade plates are now 11½ft (3.5m) above the ground, though this has risen. The aisles have gone but were probably only 3¾ft (1.1m) wide, giving a total width of nearly 23ft (6.9m). If the north east truss is a spere, then the layout must have been similar to Place House, Ware ( Fig. 8), and a number of 14th century aisled halls, where the combined length of the spere and low end bays exceeds that of the high end bay. However, I have reservations about this interpretation for Westwick Cottage because of the later developments. In the 16th century, following removal of the aisles, the arcade plates were extended beyond the 'spere' to create a small two storey addition (Fig. 20). If a spere bay had existed beyond the truss, why was the building not extended from the end wall of the hall, rather than from the 'spere'? The alternative is that the surviving building was built up against another range, all of which has now gone.

Features

Figure 20 shows the main features:

1. The straight arcade braces are as wide as the posts. A number survive, chase-tenoned to the posts, and 'V' mortised to the plate (Footnote 58). with a rear upstand (Fig. 20).

2. The arcade posts are around 11in square (28cm), the open ones octagonal at the base and rising to a capital, which is a simple curve chamfered on the edges and topped on the central truss (but not on the 'spere') by a plan square abacus ( Fig. 4d). Above the capitals the posts are square with a rear upstand. The arcade posts probably do not lean-in towards the nave, though insufficient is visible to be completely sure.

3. There are no passing braces in the aisles or the closed truss. Those across the nave taper up from the arcade posts, to which they are notched lapped with open-unrefined entry.

4. Of the roof, only the collar and one rafter survive, over the central open truss, both smoke blackened. In the central truss, the passing braces were trenched across the south west side of the rafter and tie-beam, but the collar was attached to the north east side of the truss using a barefaced dovetail, suggesting it was framed in after the passing braces were in position.

5. The west post of the closed truss is formed from very twisted oak and in general the timber is of poor quality.

6. In the central tie-beam there is an extra peg alongside each passing brace ( Fig. 2c). Its purpose is unknown.

7. In the central truss the aisle wall plate was clasped between two aisle tie-beams, but held by single ties in the other trusses. These must have been in normal assembly.

Newbury Farmhouse, Tonge, Kent (1182-1227)

( Figs. 2c, 4e, 21)

Map ref: TQ 928599

This is a timber-framed aisled hall, not thought to be a manor house, though much of its history is unknown. It was surveyed by RCHME on which much of this note draws (Footnote 59). A recent review of the tree- ring samples taken from an arcade post in the early 1990s, but undated at the time, suggests a felling date of 1182-1227 (Footnote 60).

Fig. 21. Reconstruction of open hall of Newbury Farmhouse, Tonge, Kent (based on drawings by RCHME with amendments (RCHME 1994, 128))

Plan

This is a fully timber-framed two-bay open hall, running north to south, and as the finished face of the closed north truss is not flush with the north side, it may be assumed that it originally continued inline to the north. There was possibly another bay beyond the south end of the open hall where there is now a stone crosswing. Only the open hall survives, consisting of most of the north and central trusses, the two arcade plates, some arcade and nave braces. Of the roof, only the nave rafters over the central truss survive. In the truss at the south end of the open hall, the south-west arcade post has been replaced with a similar post, possibly from elsewhere in the building. The south-east arcade post has gone, but it has left an indentation in the stone wall of the crosswing, suggesting the wing is either contemporary or later. The east aisle survives, though rebuilt; the west has been removed. The passing braces are halved across the south side of the central truss which may indicate that the high end was to the south if such orientation and concepts had been adopted by this date. The stone crosswing to the south has an entrance in the west aisle suggesting it was a parlour wing, though its plan is now difficult to recover.

Open Hall

The south bay of the hall is 14ft 8in long by 16ft 4in wide between arcade plates (4.5x5m), with the second bay about 4in (0.1m) longer. The capitals are just over 8ft (2.5m), and the present ground floor 17ft (5.2m), below the top of the arcade plates.

Features

Figure 21 shows the main features:

1. The arcade braces are semicircular arches, and all are tenoned to posts and plate. They are moulded with a double roll, deeper on the nave than the aisle side. Rebates show all the brace spandrels were infilled on the hall side with planking.

2. Similarly the semicircular arch-braces across the nave are tenoned, and in the central truss there are rebates for boarding across both sides of the spandrels. The north truss was closed by boarding infill which passed behind the braces with, in addition, boarding across the brace spandrels on the hall side, similar to Fyfield Hall.

3. The central arcade posts are octagonal below the capital which is a simple curved chamfer on the corners up to a square plain abacus, similar to Westwick Cottage ( Fig. 4e). Above this, the posts are rectangular, with an upstand behind the arcade plate. The posts in the north closed truss are similarly moulded on the hall side. Insufficient survives to record if the post lean-in towards the nave.

4. The south-west arcade post (post C, Fig. 2c) is a replacement as its capital is nearly 1½ft (0.5m) higher than on the other arcade posts and has no mortises for the arcade braces which clearly once existed. Mouldings are similar to the other posts, and its base has pyramid chamfer stops. All the posts which remain in situ have lost their bases.

5. There are passing braces only on the central truss. These consisted of a single blade tenoned into the arcade posts, halved across the south face of the tie-beam and collar. These were always 1½in (38mm) proud of the tie-beam, and 2½in (63mm) proud of the collar and the rafters. There was a separate brace across the aisle, tenoned into the post.

6. In the north closed truss a brace descended across the aisle and was tenoned to the arcade post; a lap-jointed brace replaced it. The only original lap-joints are on the tops of the passing braces on the central rafters.

7. Of the roof only the central rafters remain. These pass outside the edge of the arcade plate; uniquely, the tie-beam is tenoned into them. Similarly, the common rafters would not have rested on the arcade plate. Instead a cornice plate is tenoned to the tie-beams 8½in (0.21m) in from the arcade plate. Ashlar spur ties were fixed to this and dovetailed (with barefaced laps) to the arcade plate, and must have carried tenons to support the common rafters (Footnote 61). Many of the rafters were presumably one single length covering both aisle and nave, about 28ft (8.5m) in all.

8. The aisles were removed in the medieval period, apart from that along the east side of the bay north of the open hall. When the chimney and floor were inserted into the open hall in the 16th century, an outshot was added along the east side in almost the same position as the original aisle but with a roof pitch slightly shallower than over the nave. Its 'aisle' tie-beams are tenoned to the arcade posts just above the capital, but held by a wedge, not a peg as in all the other mortises. The mortise for the original aisle tie-beam is just below the capital's astragal.

9. Both arcade plates have a scarf joint splayed vertically through the face. These joints are splayed and tabled with undersquinted abutements. They did not have a key but slotted together forming a very tight and strong joint which has survived in use until today.

Sycamore Farm, 9 Bicester Rd, Long Crendon, Buckinghamshire (1205)

(Figs. 2c, 22)

Map ref: SP 695086

This is non-manorial building within the village of Long Crendon. Surviving in the building is one bay of the nave of an aisled structure running north-east to south-west. The four arcade posts, one tie-beam and one curved arcade brace have been dated as felled in 1205 (Fig. 22).

Fig. 22. Sycamore Farm, Long Crendon: remains of aisled hall viewed from east.

The east aisle has gone and the north aisle has been rebuilt. The rafters over the north truss B contain passing braces still notched lapped to the arcade posts. These did not date, but are likely to be contemporary with the posts. However this truss also contains the remains of a plain crown-post which is likely to be part of a late 13th or early 14th century rebuild. The north arcade plate, which also did not date, is also reused as it contains empty notched lap seatings unrelated to the present structure. It is therefore possible that the present structure was re-erected on its present site around 1300 reusing timber from another building. The arcade posts are completely plain, having no capitals or chamfering, and could easily have been part of a barn. What is important, however, is that the 1205 arcade brace is curved, and thus of a different type to those in other early aisled halls discussed here. Details of the building were published in the VAG Programme for the visit to Buckinghamshire in Spring 1994, (pp 48-49), and on which this discussion draws. The 1994 report stated that this 'farm was a two- yardland holding, copyhold of All Souls, and held for many generations by the Syms family' whose tenure has been traced back to the 1550s.

Plan

The surviving bay is small - just 11ft (3.35m) long between posts and 14ft 8in (4.47m) wide across the nave, with the top of the arcade plate about 10ft (3m) above the floor. The bay formed part of an open hall as the surviving rafters and passing braces on truss B are smoke blackened on all sides. Also surviving above this tie-beam, fixed to the south-west side of the rafters and crown-post, is a later wattle and daub partition which is heavily smoke blackened on only the south-west side, indicating a later partitioning of the open hall. In addition the collar on truss B has pegs for end hip rafters to the north-east, but possibly these are not an original feature. There is no evidence that either truss was originally closed, nor is either of the tie-beams finished flush with a face of the arcade posts. On truss B, the passing braces are flush with the north face of the arcade posts, and are thus a few inches proud of the rafters and collar (Fig. 22).

Features

Figure 22 shows the main features

1. The arcade braces are curved, notched-lapped to the arcade plate with refined and unrefined entry, and lapped-jointed to the arcade posts, possibly with a form of notch. The junction of braces and posts are not visible, either plastered over or obscured by the inserted floor.

2. The arcade posts are around 10in (0.25m) square, and have an upstand on the rear. They have no capitals and were not chamfered or shaped in any way. The present chamfering appears to be later. The posts do not taper, nor appear to lean-in towards the nave. They stand on stone sills today.

3. Both surviving trusses had passing braces rising on the north-east face. These did not continue across the aisles. All are notched-lapped to the posts with unrefined entry, though the shape of the notched laps differ on truss B from those on truss C.

4. The rafters on truss B are trenched to the side of the tie-beam, similar to Fyfield Hall. Those on truss C were tenoned, possibly indicating that this tie-beam is a later replacement.

5. The north-west arcade plate, 7.5in high by 7in deep (19x18cm), is reused. It has empty notched-lap seatings for braces in towards the centre of the bay, and these are associated with a simple trenched joint (not a dovetail) near the centre of the plate for a tie-beam notched over the plate. Beneath this trench is a halving joint for a post (Fig. 22). The lack of dovetails or mortise and tenon would be consistent with a building predating 1205.

6. The VAG programme reported that the tie-beam on truss B has - instead of the usual dovetail to join the tie to the arcade plate - 'a raised fillet, about 2" (50mm) high and wide, on the upper surface of the plate, and a trench cut across both the foot of the rafter and soffit of the tie' which fits over this 'cog' (p49). The tie-beam on truss C, which as indicated above may be later, has a dovetail.

7. The arcade posts are mortised and tenoned to the plate. All the other joints are lapped.

8. There is no evidence visible for the size of the aisles or for the position of the aisle tie. Any peg for this must be covered by the ground floor ceiling.

Barley Barn, Cressing Temple, Essex (1205-1230)

( Fig. 23)

Map ref: TL 799190

This manorial aisled barn was built by the Knights Templar from timbers felled in 1205-1230(Footnote 62). It is of five full bays plus two end bays, symmetrical about the centre bay. The present structure, which has been slightly shortened, is 119ft (36.3m) long internally, and 24ft (7.3m) between arcade plates, the tops of which are about 24ft (7.3m) above the present floor. It has been re-roofed, the arcade plates replaced and the aisles rebuilt, but enough survives, some of it reused, to provide the reconstruction by David Stenning reproduced as Figure 23. Fuller details are given by David Stenning on which this report is based (Footnote 63).

Fig. 23. Barley Barn, Cressing Temple, Esex - timbers felled 1205-1230. Reconstruction prespective looking down the interior (copyright David Stenning).

Features

Figure 23 shows half the barn, the other half is a mirror image. The main features are:

1. The arcade braces are straight. A number survive, 'V' mortised to the plate and chase- tenoned to the arcade post.

2. The arcade posts taper up from ground to plate, have no upstand, and lean-in towards the nave.

3. The two central trusses have strainer beams. These are tenoned in at one end, but held by a free tenon at the other, indicating they were framed in after the posts had been erected.

4. All trusses had passing braces. Each brace was a single piece of timber from aisle to rafter. In the one surviving set, one brace continues to the rafter with the other finishing notched-lapped to the former at the point where they cross, rather than continuing to the rafter.

5. Many of the mortise and tenons have offset tenons, ie the tenon is not central on the end of the timber.

6. All but two of the arcade post have rectangular holes in both flanks. These are thought to have been to assist with lifting the posts during erection. These were filled by slightly tapered wooden blocks. The other two posts have circular holes on their innermost faces which may have served the same function (Footnote 64). It is not known if the posts originally rested on padstones or the ground. They are now on later sills.

7. The aisles have been rebuilt 1ft (0.3m) inside their original position.

Harlowbury, Harlow, Essex (1220-5)

(Figs. 2d, 4f, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29)

Map ref: TL 478121

This is a manor house, built from timbers felled 1220-25 (Footnote 65). and is the largest of the fully timber-framed aisled halls considered in this paper. It was probably built by Hugh II, Abbot of Bury St Edmunds. When Samson became Abbot in 1182, the manor was held from the Abbey by Arnold of Harlow (Footnote 66). By 1200 it was in the direct management of the Abbey, farmed by a bailiff until leased c1430 to John Dobbs (Footnote 67). The building was used as an inn by the Abbot on journeys to and from London. West of the house is a detached flint rubble chapel which is probably late 12th century as the north doorway is semicircular with carved waterleaf capitals. As the hall has not previously been published, additional plans, sections and elevations are included here.

Fig. 24. Harlowbury, Harlow, Essex

Plan

Only the nave of the open hall survives, running east to west, along with most of its roof. Originally there was an additional bay beyond both ends of the open hall. The roof originally continued in line over the bay to the east of the open hall, but was hipped off over that to the west. At the east end of the roof, the collar is set slightly higher than in the common rafters. This happens at Stanton's Hall, Black Notley, Essex, where laths are layed across the collars over the service bay, finished flush against the raised collar in the end truss of the open hall, so as to provide a smoke funnel over the inline bay. At Harlowbury's west end, part of the end rafter is reused in the roof - the final three rafter couples have been replaced. This rafter, smoke blackened on only one face, has a mortise just above the soulace for a horizontal timber extending beyond the hall, suggesting the west end was hipped off beyond the hall, perhaps in a return aisle.

Open Hall

The hall was of two equal bays, 21ft long between tie-beams by 20ft wide between arcade plates (6.4x6.1m), the tops of which are 19½ft (5.9m) above the present floor (Figs. 25, 26). Four of the arcade posts survive - those at the centre and at the east end. The east end beyond the hall was replaced in the late 14th century by a four bay crosswing (Figs. 26, 29). This wing's west wall plate rests on the arcade plates, replacing the hall's tie-beam, with the arcade posts forming part of the side wall of the crosswing. The wing's ground plan has not been recovered but on the first floor it consisted of a single room 39ft (11.9m) long. The central truss has a moulded crownpost with four-way bracing, but the other two are plain studs with braces only to the collar purlin. The aisles, assuming they were flush with the ends of the crosswing and that the latter had a 2ft (0.6m) jetty to the south, were 7ft 9in (2.4m) wide, giving the hall a total external width of 37ft (11.3m). The entrance may have been at the east end of the hall, the position of the present front door. In a lease of 1536 the kitchen was to the east and the parlour to the west.iiiii

A two bay long-jettied wing was added to the east side of the crosswing in the 15th century - possibly lodgings (Figs. 25, 26). Later the aisles were removed, as was the bay beyond the west end. In about 1860 the whole building was encased in Victorian grey brick.

Fig. 25. Harlowbury: Plan at roof level of hall and east crosswing and at first floor level of east long-jettied range (Later Victorian brick walls to south and north not shown)

Fig. 26. Harlowbury: Long-section looking north

Fig. 27. Harlowbury: Partial Reconstruction of Centre truss

Fig. 28. Harlowbury: Hall Common Rafters

Fig. 29. Harlowbury: Cross-section through east end of open hall (Later Victorian brick walls added to south and north walls of hall and crosswing not shown)

Features

Figures 24-29 show the main features:

1. The shape of the arcade braces is uncertain, none of which are visible In the drawings they are assumed to be straight because peg holes show they were relatively short.

2. The north-east arcade post has a rear upstand (Fig. 29) - it is not possible to see the backs of the other posts, nor is sufficient visible to determine if the posts lean-in towards the nave.

3. There is a carved foliated capital on the central truss ( Fig. 4f).

4. Only the central truss appears to have had passing braces. These were constructed with two blades, one clasping either side of the tie-beam. They rise only to the collar. It is assumed they continued into the aisles as the north east blade is in two parts, joined at the tie-beam, with a secret notched lap joint (Fig. 27). A scarf in this position suggests the braces continued down across the aisles.

5. The central rafters and collar are 1ft (0.3m) wide, the same width as the tie-beam.

6. The common rafters have soulaces. These are tenoned to the rafters and are either tenoned or notched lapped to the collars using both refined and unrefined entry notched laps (Figs 5, 28). The collars are mortised and tenoned to the rafters. All the rafters have rafter holes - that is a peg hole on the rafter face just above the plate which does not go completely through the rafter. Most, but not all, are on the east face.

7. There is no evidence visible of planking infill.

8. Most timbers are of near square section.

9. The tie-beam dovetails are housed with square entrant shoulders (see Fig. 7a).

10. The scarf joints are unusual ( Figs. 7a & b). That in the south arcade plate is little more than a simple halving joint, but that on the north plate is splay cut through the face of the timber, not the edge. It must have failed immediately, and the iron bands now clasping the joint must be 13th century.

11. The arcade plates have a simple moulding (see Figs. 7a & b), that on the south is carved out of the plate, but that on the north is a separate strip.

12. Today there are two additional floating tie-beams at the west end (shown in Figs. 2d, 25, 26 but not 24). One is smoke blackened, and sits in a housed dovetail to the north, but is clumsily lodged on the plate to the south. The other is simply lodged. Both are unlikely to be original.

13. There were probably dormer windows on both sides of the west bay - there is a series of pegs in the rafters (Figs. 24, 26). Also in the north arcade plate, 4½ft (1.4m) from the west end, is a mortise for a horizontal timber extending across the aisle. This may have been for a window. Because of the later brick casing, it is not possible to see if there are similar mortises elsewhere.

14. The rafter couple at the east end of the hall with its slightly higher collar, never sat on the end tie-beam, but rested against it. It has an additional lower collar notched-lapped on its east face and appears to be an open truss. It is now closed by smoke blackened studs, rising from the top of the crosswing wall plate and pegged to the east side of the rafters. The upper collar has an additional peg driven in at an angle at each corner ( Fig. 24), the purpose of which is unknown.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

This article grew out of work on Fyfield Hall and Harlowbury as I attempted to compare them with other buildings of similar date. I am indebted to the various authors who have published articles on the buildings studied here and to the owners who have allowed me to visit their homes. I am also grateful to a range of people over the years who have taken me to these buildings, drawn them to my attention, or have discussed them with me. In particular I need to thank Philip Aitkens, Nat Alcock, Richard Bond, Adrian Gibson, Alan Greening, Liz Lewis, John McCann, Bob Meason, Dan Miles, Sarah Pearson, Ian Phillips, Edward Roberts, Roy Sladden, David Stenning, Tim Tatton-Brown and in particular my wife, Pam Walker. But at the end of the day all the mistakes are mine.

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Footnotes

57. Howard et al, 1997(1).
58. Discovered by Cecil Hewett in 1998.
59. Pearson et al 1994, 128-129.
60. VA32, 14.
61. A similar feature has been noted on at least two unaisled mass walled buildings where spur ties carry the ends of the rafters - the brick built Coggeshall Abbey chapel, Essex (Hewett 1985, 13) ascribed to c1220 and Wistanstow Church, Shropshire with timbers felled 1220-21 (Miles 1997, 105). At the Old Stables, Wherwell Priory, Hamps (1250 felling) (Roberts 1998, 140) and Nurstead Court, Meopham, Kent (1303-1327) the rafters also pass outside the arcade plate but are supported by a stub ashlar tenoned to the rafter which rests on the arcade plate.
62. VA24, 50.
63. Stenning 1993, 62-66.
64. Stenning 1993, 65.
65. VA28, 141.
66. Clarke 1903, 49.
67. VCH 1983, 135.
68. Bartlett 1986, 36.

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