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House Roof Trusses
Early Trusses
Both trusses have tenoned and pegged joints with small chiselled carpenter's marks to the upper collar and the lower end of the V struts. The apex of truss 1 is simply tenoned and pegged, a feature of the 16th century. There is no ridge purlin.
Truss 2 had wattle and daub infilling to the apex, as it was an exterior face, but Truss 1 was open above the uppermost collar.
It is interesting to note that the purlins (longitudinal members stiffening the roof between trusses) between Truss 1 and Truss 2 are absent. The through tenons from the purlins in bay 3 have been pegged through to stop them from withdrawing. The reasons for this are not clear, there may possibly have been a junction with a dormer gable on each side, or the cutting back of the purlins occurred when the roof was raised in the 18th century and the house widened.
17th century Truss
The entire truss can be seen. It is very different from the earlier trusses in form, having diminished principal rafters above the clasped purlins, which rest in the angle between the main rafters and the collar, and queen posts.
There are both 16th, 17th and 18th century features; queen posts are most often found in the 16th century, but also in the 17th and 18th century, whilst clasped purlins, a tradition found in the east of the county, are most often found in the 17th century, which may suggest a transitional type dating from c1600-50.
At each side of the truss are short, straight windbraces tenoned in. This form of stiffening by triangulation in the roof is also a late type, earlier windbraces from the 16th century and earlier generally being larger and curved.
The roof has been subject to recent overhauling and most of the common rafters have been replaced. In the rear south wing are some possibly 19th century light sawn softwood timbers including the purlins, principal rafters and board ridge.
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