Hi,
I received my copy of the Newton Hall Cruck Buildings book yesterday and I have now had a chance to read through this in some detail.
One of the major research findings outlined in this book is that in one of the cruck buildings the sills are made out of long rectangular strips of sandstone (a bit like New England granite foundation stones) into which mortices were cut to take the cruck blade foot tenons and grooves for wattle & daub. This is the first time that I have seen an example of a true marriage being made between timber and stone.
This book is a must for anyone engaged in archaeology / conservation and design as it pulls together all of these threads demonstrating how these techniques have become established and especially how timber frame conservation practice has only evolved over a fairly recent times (1960's onward).
One thing that I did notice in the sources bibliography is that cruck apex types are referred to as "Alcock type X Y Z" with a complete absence of mention or reference made to the typology system ascribed by Betty Bunker in her earlier 1970's study of cruck framed buildings in Derbyshire & South Yorkshire.
The gazetteer of 72 cruck building plans and cross sections demonstrates just how clinical modern efforts are in attempting to recreate this particular building artform which according to Nevell are much more rustic in nature i.e. demonstrating a requirement to work with nature rather than expend too much energy in attempting to regularise same.
Copies can be ordered directly from Brian Grimsditch at Salford University. [contact email address - b.grimsditch "at" salford.ac.uk]{change "at" to @ and no spaces}
Regards
Ken Hume
Last edited by Ken Hume; 03/20/11 10:26 AM.
