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This
roof frame was constructed in 2010 by students under the professional tuition
of Rick Lewis.
Most of the green oak was grown in the adjacent parish
of Battisford.
YouTube video
Many of the trees were hand-cut
along the length of the tree and used to form a truss. Students learnt
how to use a two-handled cross cut saw, and got fitter at the same
time. The benefits of hand-cutting were that we could follow the
natural shapes of the tree and make best use of what was available.
Using one tree to construct a truss means that the weight and
size are matched, as is the visual appearance. Rafters are pegged at
the apex, purlin and onto the wallplate using seasoned oak pegs.
Our hand-cut roof frame
replaced the shallower 1940's softwood frame. With the help of the
building historian (who attended the first roof course) we were able to
calculate and replicate the exact pitch of the the 17th century barn.
We may have even sourced the materials from the same woodland as the
original.
We ran 4 courses in 2021 to construct the roof for the 1580 Long House reinstatement.
More photos available in Hand-cut
Roof Frame album on Facebook.
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