Survey of Historic Timber at 2-3 Watergate St, Kilkenny.

Report and Inventory

Survey Date: 18th March, 2010

Paul Price, Woodwrights

2-3 Watergate St, KilkennySurvey building

4 Watergate St

Paul Price, Woodwrights 9 Rosary Gardens East, Dún Laoghaire, Co. Dublin 01 2809 887 086 856 7112 info@woodwrights.ie www.woodwrights.ie

Report PurposeThis short report/inventory details the condition and historic interpretation of timbers surveyed in situ at 2-3 Watergate Street, Kilkenny on 18th March, 2010 by Paul Price. All numbering follows that detailed in the Kilkenny Archeology Inventory of Historic Timbers, Figures 34 to 40. This survey should be read with reference to the Inventory.

Also noted are conservation recommendations for the timberwork and notes regarding moving two of the existing beams (Nos. T1 and T3) vertically upward by 400mm as is proposed.

SummaryThere are three phases of timberwork in situ at 2-3 Watergate St. First, a single post (T5) and jointed rail which seems to be in-situ early, pre-1700 “scribed”, numbered, oak framing of a building which was possibly an earlier phase of 4 Watergate Street, next door – there are two other, probably related, timbers (T26 , T29) which are also of this type. If, as seems likely, the interpretation is correct then this is a significant find because pre-1700, in-situ, oak wall framing is rare in Ireland.

Secondly, there are later, probably 18th century roof timbers made for this building. The site-made roof framing of this phase comprised simple principal rafter trusses with double butt jointed side purlins, probably made on site in the 18th century. One of these trusses has been removed, one has a tie beam with only stubs of the principals, and one is truncated above the collar. The purlins and common rafters are missing. The splinter fracture of the principal rafters seems to indicate a major failure of the roof. Also from this period are timbers re-used as wall plates and lintels.

All of the older timbers were squared by hand with broadaxe and pitsaw so the timber surfaces preserve a valuable record of timber conversion tool marks.

Last, there are later 20th century common rafters and lintels for inserted doors and windows.

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Survey observations and historical interpretation of timbersObservation is followed by interpretation in bullet points. As is accepted practice for historic timber surveys, measurements in feet and inches may be included to aid carpentry interpretation.

Phase 1 – Pre-1700 Timbers

The single vertical post T5, 150 mm square (6” x 6”), in the north wall has a very short section of rail attached to it with an oak pegged mortice and tenon joint. A separate timber (T26) may well be the same timber as the original segment of rail into the post, but the two are now separated by a mortar filled cut.

The evidence for the post being in-situ framing for an original building is not conclusive, but is highly likely. During this survey a small amount of loose mortar brushed from the top of the post revealed a surviving tenon of north south orientation and, notably, a decayed, attached piece of the associated morticed wall plate.

• It seems unlikely that this post with attached pieces of rail and wall plate would be placed into a brick wall. The presence and orientation of the wall plate fragment indicates that the post is a wall post in a north south

Post T5

Attached rail piece

T26 may be continuation of the adjacent attached rail

Mortar filled cut

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wall. Given the typical arrangement of box framed oak buildings the tie beam would have been sitting over the wall plate, usually with a lap dovetail, and spanning from this post to a post at the street.

The post is about 4.8m (16 feet) from the front wall. The sloping inferred roof line shown on the phased north elevation (Inventory Figure 39) to the east of post T5 is not clear to this author.

• It is possible that post T5 is the back wall post of a 4.8 m deep building fronting onto Watergate Street.

Both the post and the rail each have the Roman number CC marked at the joint with a gouge by the carpenter who made the joint.

• The presence of the numbered joint strongly indicates that this is a “scribed” frame typically made off-site in a carpenters yard using scribe carpentry techniques. The three dimensional frame of an oak framed building was made up of two dimensional frames –comprising the cill and wall plate frames horizontally, and the wall and cross-frames vertically. Using rods the carpenter would have made an accurate plan of the site (often irregular in town situations). Replicating this plan full scale on the relatively flat ground of

Decayed fragment of wall plate attached to T5

Intact wall plate tenon on post T5

Carpenterʼs gouged number CC at T5 to rail joint

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the yard would give the basis for the geometry so that the outline geometry for walls and cross-frames could be laid out full scale. Each two dimensional “frame” was made individually with timbers “laid up” plumb over the corresponding reference geometry and, using a plumb bob string as a reference for each line, every tenon shoulder was marked and cut (scribed) to match the shape of the corresponding mortice face. Every joint is thus individual and requires a number so that the frame can be correctly reassembled when brought to site.

The orientation of the postʼs wall plate tenon is north-south, the carpenterʼs numbers CC are on the cross-frame face of the timber, and there are no joints/empty mortices facing toward 2-3 Watergate.

• The carpenter numbered the “upper face” of the horizontally, pre-assembled frame and this was typically the outside face of the cross-frame or wall frame. Combined with the observations, the indication is that the visible south face of the post may well be the outer face of the corner of the wall frame of an early phase of 4 Watergate Street.

The rail, T26, has a V-shaped stave groove in itʼs upper surface. The oak timber T29 re-used as lintel in the front elevation of the building, has a similar groove.

• Stave grooves were made in the upper surfaces of rails in wattle and daub panels which often form the infill of early oak frame buildings. The under surfaces of rails and wall plates would have had stave holes. In the assembled wall frame on-site, the ends of oak staves would have been pushed up into the stave holes and swung into the groove below. Hazel or oak wattle would then be woven through the staves as a base for daub plaster.

• Given that post T5 seems to have just one rail about half way up between cill and wall plate it seems that the wall had “large panels” of wattle and daub infill. The inserted chimney has removed any evidence of an intermediate post in the cross-frame. Large panel framing with wattle and daub infill may indicate a date prior to 1600, however too little wall framing exists in Ireland to compare this framing for stylistic dating.

Post T5 does have an area of heart-sapwood boundary wane on the west arris at the rail joint.

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• Given that the post 5 is possibly quartered conversion, drilling a dendro-core at this point might give a dating possibility. However, the small timber scantling is likely to have too few rings for a dating to be possible.

Phase 2 to 5 – Frame Timbers probably dating to 1700-1900

The tie beam T18, principal rafters T23 and T25, and collar T24, form a collar truss probably of 18th century construction, truncated by later re-roofing. The truss joints are unnumbered. A similar truss was based on tie beam T19. Iron twist straps secure the wall to the rafter feet.Another truss, removed, seems to have been about 2.5 to 3 m to the north of T18 bearing at the voids indicated on Figs. 37 and 38, completing the support of the roof over 2-3 Watergate. One principal rafter T19B, from this missing truss or that based on T19, has been placed across the remaining tie beams. This principal rafter shows two purlin joints indicating that this was a roof with double butt side purlins (ie two purlins on each side of the ridge).

• Butt purlins into deep rectangular section rafters and transition framing indicate an 18th century date for this timber work.

Splinter fracture of the principal rafters is visible on T25 and on the rafter stubs on tie T19.

• This indicates a possible major failure of this roof perhaps by fire or wind damage.

All of the purlins, which were butt jointed to the principals by way of fully housed, centred tenon joints, are now missing. Some of them may be part re-used as lintels within the building but this was not confirmed.

Pegged mortice and tenon joint of principal rafter 23 into tie 18.

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Page 6 Historic timber survey for 2-3 Watergate Street, Kilkenny

• The lack of numbering indicates that these were probably site built trusses. They are examples of simpler, later “transition framing” carpentry which does not exhibit the same quality of scribe carpentry eg. there jointing for no wind bracing in the principal rafters.

Collar T24 jointed into principal rafter T25. Housed purlin mortice just below collar joint. Rafter above collar shows possible fracture failure due to decay?.

Removed rafter 19B placed over tie beam T19. Two purlin joints in underside, collar mortice on surface facing rope.

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Timber T21B. Straight chiselled carpenterʼs number lll from previous use.

Timber T6. Signature marks from nicks in broad axe blade at angle to axe stop mark

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Stop mark

Signature marks

Conservation Recommendations

The scribed, early wall framing timbers in-situ are of particular archeological interest and should be carefully conserved in situ. Any building work carried out adjacent to these timbers should be done with care not to disturb them. If any future building works are carried out next door at 4 Watergate St it would be very interesting to see if any other historic timbers remain in the building.

Of the 18th century roof, the purlins and commons are missing, and only one truss is relatively intact and that has been severed above collar level. In conservation terms the quality of carpentry may not be high, but in Ireland where we have a limited record of vernacular timberwork these timbers are not very common.

It is certainly possible to move the two floor beams T1 and T3 upward by the suggested 400 mm if it is done carefully. Ideally timber T27 could move upward with T3. The scarf in T3 can be re-secured with stainless steel screws after lifting. Using a pair of nylon slings when lifting the beams with a chain hoist will prevent marking of the beams.

In general, the historic timberwork within 2-3 Watergate is reasonably dry and in good condition. As is usual most of the timbers have some surface decay, but are internally sound. Timbers entering the external walls may need some timber treatment, but in general it is recommended that chemical treatments are not used unless absolutely necessary. Timbers entering external walls should ideally be isolated from the surrounding masonry using damp proof membrane and if possible be allowed to “breathe” to the interior. Other main timbers such as oak truss, tie beams and floor beams should similarly be protected from damp at their bearing ends.

As noted, all surfaces of the older timbers retain a record of the conversion tool marks and carpenters layout, therefore it is recommended that retained timber surfaces are treated with some care. In particular it is important that timbers which are to be exposed in the new building, if any, are cleaned gently by water and soft brush, and not by sandblasting. Ideally, any new inserted structure will be independent of the existing timbers to minimize damage to them.

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