Furness Abbey, Manor Road, Barrow-In-Furness, Cumbria: Tree-Ring Analysis and Radiocarbon Wiggle-Matching of the Presbytery Wall Foundation Raft Timbers

Arnold, A., Howard, R., Dunbar, E. , Tyers, C. and Marshall, P. (2020) Furness Abbey, Manor Road, Barrow-In-Furness, Cumbria: Tree-Ring Analysis and Radiocarbon Wiggle-Matching of the Presbytery Wall Foundation Raft Timbers. Technical Report. Historic England.

Abstract

Dendrochronological analysis was undertaken on 43 samples obtained as slices from a series of timbers used as a foundation raft for the presbytery walls at Furness Abbey, these timbers having being removed as part of emergency conservation works. This analysis produced one dated site chronology comprising 32 samples and having an overall length of 182 rings (BIFESQ01). These rings were dated as spanning the years AD 975–1156. Interpretation of the sapwood on the dated samples would suggest the likelihood that all the timbers were cut as part of a single programme of felling (though perhaps not all at exactly the same time) in the period AD 1165–90, and are thus likely to represent part of the earliest work on the extant Abbey. A second site chronology, BIFESQ02, comprising nine samples could also be created, this being 161 rings long. This site chronology could not be dated by dendrochronology, but the results of a radiocarbon wiggle match suggest it is likely that the sequence is broadly coeval with BIFESQ01. The remaining two samples were rejected from the analysis.

• Item Type: Research Reports or Papers (Technical Report)
• Additional Information: Report Number: 47/2015.
• Keywords: Dendrochronology, radiocarbon dating, standing building, wiggle-match.
• Status: Published
• Glasgow Author(s) Enlighten ID: Dunbar, Dr Elaine
• Authors: Arnold, A., Howard, R., Dunbar, E., Tyers, C., and Marshall, P.
• College/School: College of Science and Engineering > Scottish Universities Environmental Research Centre
• Publisher: Historic England