Twelfth-Century Timbers From Sixhills, Lincolnshire, and a Review of Medieval Stave Construction in England

Abstract

A group of twelfth-century timbers was found re-used as joists in a mid sixteenth-century house on the Lincolnshire Wolds. It is suggested that they were first prepared for use in the nearby priory of Sixhills and dendro-provenancing indicates they are likely to have come from trees in Sherwood Forest. The timber is notably straight-grown. The fine condition of the timber allowed conclusions to be drawn about the tools used to hew it. The joists seem to have originated in a stave structure. The wider evidence for this form of building in England is reviewed and evidence for comparable stave buildings, including the church at Greensted, is considered. It is argued that stave construction was rarely used because of the careful preparation required and the quantity of timber needed.