Measured Survey

Date 3 October 2011 - 1 November 2011

Event ID 934186

Category Recording

Type Measured Survey

Permalink http://canmore.org.uk/event/934186

The National Trust for Scotland commissioned Alder Archaeology to carry out a Historic Building Recording on the roof at 42-44 High Street, Linlithgow which is part of a group of 16th century buildings known as Hamilton's land. The requirement was to record the nature of the original roof as it was exposed during essential repairs. The sarking was found to comprise pit-sawn Scots pine planks of a variety of lengths and widths. Stone slates had been attached to it using large headed hand forged wrought iron clout type nails. The roof itself was found to be of common rafter form with most of the original rafters surviving, though a few had been reinforced or replaced with new rafters in the 19th or 20th century. All original timbers were found to be adze trimmed softwood, probably Scots pine, and most were whole though some were halvedand a few quartered. Rafter pairs were connected at the apex with pegged mortise and tenon joints. Differences in collar widths and assembly marks suggested that the N roof may have stood alone prior to the construction of the S. This pointed to the possibility that Hamilton's Land was at one stage set back from the High Street. It is hoped that future dendrochronology of timbers will be able to provide precise dates for the two roofs and further clarify the precise building sequence.

Information from Oasis (alderarc1-120260) 20 November 2012