Oxfordshire Woodland Group

The Pilgrims Hall in Cathedral Close, Winchester, Hampshire, England is a remarkably early [dd 1310-11] example of hammer beam roof construction. This predates the better known hammer beam roof at Westminster Hall, London by nearly one century.

Most of the structural timbers are made from curved stock and no metal rods are employed to tie together opposite sides of the hammer beams. Some peg failures are evident at the foot of the arch braces and metal straps have been employed to prevent further spreading of the affected truss. This design reduces the need for long tie beams to span the full width of the hall

Chilterns