Oxfordshire Woodland Group

A cruck timber-framed house at Checkendon, South Oxfordshire was spotted by close inspection of the gable end where a cruck blade is just evident.

The other end of this timber-framed house has been faced with flint with brick employed for door and windows quions.

The flints needed to undertake this very typical Chilterns vernacular building style might well have been obtained from the surrounding woodlands following a period of pig grazing.

A good example of using field flints was seen at East Meon in Hampshire where knapped field flints were laid in courses and then galletted with shards of flint.

The best quality flints are found in four inch thick layers which are then broken up into cubes to face high quality buildings such as can be seen at West Dean House, Singleton in West Sussex.

Ken Hume

The Oxfordshire Woodland Group have decided that the foundation for their woodland community cruck barn will employ a brick and flint foundation with brick piers located under each of the feet of the cruck blades and flint dwarf walls connecting between the brick pillars underbuilt beneath the timber sills as demonstrated at the rebuilding of Sole Street at The Weald and Downland Living Museum.

This work will be undertaken on a workshop basis engaging a speciailist flint knapping and laying instructor to teach aspiring vernacular timber-frame and flint building workers.

Persons wishing to try their hand at this ancient craft are welcome to get in touch with the Trustees who will advise further on timing (summer 2017)

Ken Hume