Many of us now think of wooden buildings as old fashioned and something that was built in times gone by. Nowadays, most of our buildings are built from bricks and mortar. However, timber is certainly not a material to be written off and many of our oldest buildings in the UK are constructed from timber frames.
We use timber for many things in this day and age still, and you can find a range of different types of wood for all purposes in places like this Salisbury timber merchants https://www.timbco.co.uk – in fact, due to the awareness of climate change, people are even turning to timber once again as a more environmentally friendly option for building homes.
Here are some old timber structures in the UK that have stood the test of time and are still standing today…
173 High Street – This building that can be found in the Hertfordshire town of Berkhamsted, is believed to have been built between 1277 and 1297. Even more amazing is the fact that although it was known to be an old building, it was not until 2001 that anyone realised quite how old it was.
During renovation work to the building, it was discovered that the age of the timber frame was much older than previously realised, and the realisation that the building had been a part of the high street since the mediaeval period prompted English Heritage to help fund more investigations and restoration.
St Mary’s Church, Kempley – Nestled in the rolling countryside of Gloucestershire is a tiny church which was built around in the 1100s. Many people come here to see the beautiful artwork on the walls, which survived the reformation and are still very visible to this day. However, the church has another claim to fame and that is the fact that the roof is the oldest known timber roof in Britain. As well as the roof, there is a wooden door which is also the original door used and the tree dating from the door reveals that it was felled between 1114 and 1141.
Greensted Church – Head over to Essex where another church has also been named as not only the oldest wooden church in Britain, but the oldest in the world! The nave of the church dates back to around 1000 AD which is the oldest remaining part of the church, made from oak.
Throughout the ages, changes have been made to the church, including the Victorian brickwork and changes to the windows.