7350 Developing the dendrochronology of elm in historic buildings

Dendrochronology is an independent and precise scientific dating technique that is widely used on oak (Quercus spp) timbers in historic buildings to provide invaluable information in relation to decisions about protection, management, and conservation at both national and local levels. However it has become increasingly apparent that there are a substantial number of historic buildings that make use of timbers other than oak, most notably elm (Ulmus spp), and which cannot currently be readily dated through the application of dendrochronology. Such buildings form a significant part of the historic environment but they cannot presently be afforded the same level of understanding in comparison to their oak counterparts. This project aims to explore the potential of dendrochronology with respect to those historic buildings, or sections of those buildings, that are solely or predominantly constructed with elm. The very limited amount of work undertaken to date indicates that a targeted research project involving the dendrochronological analysis of a series of buildings is required in order to fully explore the potential and ascertain whether this aspect of dendrochronology is viable. In order to place the buildings in context, the buildings that undergo dendrochronological analysis will already have level 3 records (English Heritage 2006) or will be recorded to this level during the project.