Episcopal Palace of Beauvais — fourteenth century

Dendrochronological dating of the timber structures in the entrance porch towers of the former episcopal palace.

Carpenters' marks recorded on timbers in the south tower — Carpenters’ marks recorded on the timbers of the south tower. Credit : Christine Locatelli / Didier Pousset

Context: Study of the entrance porch tower roofs as part of the collective research project on the Episcopal Palace of Beauvais.
Didier’s contribution: Didier Pousset studied about forty timbers through dendrochronology and compared their age, diameter and structural function.
Outcome: The oaks are contemporary, harvested between autumn 1309 and early summer 1310, with timber selected according to structural function.
Related service: Explore the service

The study of about forty timbers from the south and north towers of the entrance porch complements the work carried out in 2021 on the Saint-Pierre wing. The dates establish that the oaks were harvested between autumn 1309 and early summer 1310.

Timber selected for each function

Young trees 40 to 50 cm in diameter were used for load-bearing beams, oaks nearly two hundred years old for the floor of building D, and large batches of young trees for the rafters, crossbeams, blocks, ridges and oblique ties.

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