Pembridge Amenity Trust

HOME	ABOUT THE TRUST	PROJECTS	GALLERIES	RESPONSIBILITIES	LINKS	CONTACT US

Protecting the Scheduled Historic Buildings and Monuments of Pembridge. A Registered Charity No 1060265

Pembridge the Village - Pembridge has clearly seen many changes since its inception. The village pre-dates the Domesday book. A community has existed at this place for over 1000 years. At one point in its history the village exceeded Leominster in size and was an important centre of commerce during the mediaeval period. Following the Industrial Revolution, Pembridge appeared to "fall off the map" and economic activity declined. The village was left alone to continue its rural traditions in relative isolation and, as a consequence, much of its medieval character remained unspoiled.

Brick House, West Street (RCHM 35, SMR 16378)

Discussion
As with so many of the buildings in Pembridge, Brick House is primarily dated by timbers other than the cruck-blades, the straighter grained collars and studs were the useful timbers is this instance. The cruck blades are clearly paired halved trees, the curious cusping on cruck blades on the middle cruck appears to follow the grain pattern and may be more expedience than intention. Whilst it was evident that West End would pre-date Brick House because of the blocked western window of West End, it was not clear how long the interval would have been between their construction dates, in the event an interval of c 25 years probably raises more interesting questions about how the village was in-filled or extended and possibly about the original layout of land plots at this extremity of the village.

The above is from the following report: "The History and Heritage of Pembridge: A report on the tree-ring analysis of ten houses"
Report Number ARCUS 574q
Compiled by Ian Tyers, with contributions by Duncan James
Date December 2002

Page 1 | Page 2 | Page 3

What is Dendrochronology or tree ring analysis?

ARCUS Dendrochronology Laboratory
University of Sheffield
West Court
2 Mappin Street
Sheffield
S1 4DT

Phone: 0114 222 5107 Fax: 0114 276 3146 Email: dendro@sheffield.ac.uk

For more information please contact the secretary of the Pembridge Amenity Trust info@pembridgeamenitytrust.co.uk