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Abstract
The crown-post roof appeared in England in the second half of the thirteenth century and persisted until the early sixteenth century in the south-east of England. Rafter holes are found in these roofs near to the feet of the rafters on their lower faces. They are blind holes typically 75 mm to 100 mm deep by about 25 mm in diameter. Various theories have been put forward over the years to explain their function. This paper reviews the evidence found on the rafters and integrates it into a revision of one of the earlier theories which suggested that rafter holes formed part of a jig or templet. This jig was used to ensure that the collars were at the correct height relative to the crown plate (or collar purlin). These ideas have been applied in the prefabrication of a new crown-post roof. Evidence is also presented showing how the practice of using jigs to help prefabricate rafter cross-frames may also have been applied to some other roof types such as scissor-braced and side-purlin roofs, in south-east England.
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
I am very grateful to Steve Turner, with whom I discussed rafter holes and how they might have been used at length, when we fabricated the crown-post roof shown in in 2000. I also express my gratitude to the two referees who kindly provided valuable comments and feedback.
Notes
1 Reed, “The Knowledge of Carpenters.”
2 Alcock et al., Recording Timber-Framed Buildings, G15.
3 Walker, The English Medieval Roof, 16.
4 Ibid., 14.
5 Ibid., 15.
6 Andrews, Cressing Temple, 91.
7 Roberts, Hampshire Houses, 9.
8 Walker, The English Medieval Roof, 15.
9 Ibid., 69.
10 Ibid., 67.
11 Hewett, English Historic Carpentry, 48.
12 Walker, The English Medieval Roof, 13.
13 Charles, “Scotches, Lever Sockets and Rafter Holes,” 22.
14 Alcock et al., Recording Timber-Framed Buildings, G17.
15 Armstrong, Weald and Downland, 11.
16 Weald & Downland “Minutes”; Weald & Downland, Members’ Magazine, 4.
17 Gravett, “Rafter Holes,” 840.
18 Mason, Framed Buildings of England, 57.
19 Charles, “Scotches, Lever Sockets and Rafter Holes,” 22.
20 McCann, “The Purpose of Rafter Holes,” 28.
21 Johnson, “Further Thoughts on Rafter Holes,” 309.
22 Mennin, “Rafter Holes,” 54.
23 Reed, “The Knowledge of Carpenters,” 34.
24 McCann, “The Purpose of Rafter Holes,” 27.
25 Salzman, Building in England down to 1540, 528; Corkhill, A Glossary of Wood, 640.
26 Moxon, Mechanick Exercises, 123.
27 Reed, “The Knowledge of Carpenters.”