Cruck
|
| Photo credit: Terry Wha on Visualhunt / CC BY |
Cruck is the term applied to a pair of curving timber members that meet at their tops to produce a rough arch. The two timbers (sometimes called ‘blades’) were traditionally formed by sawing a tree trunk with a natural curve in half. This would give a symmetrical affect and also mean that they would be lighter to transport than a complete tree trunk. When a house comprises several of these crucks it is called a ‘cruck-framed’ structure.
Cruck houses can be found in Scotland and Wales but they seem to have proliferated in England from the 12th century, mainly in the West, Midlands and North. In some parts of the country they continued to be constructed well into the 18th century.
The English county with the highest number of externally-visible cruck frames is Herefordshire. Although other counties may have similar numbers, they may be hard to find, due to the insertion of floors, party walls and chimneys, and the fact that many cruck frames were plastered over or masked under a stone or brick facing.
[edit] Construction
The construction method was practical and straight forward. Cruck pairs typically 5m-long, would be spaced somewhere between 12ft (3.6m) and 16ft (4.8m) apart to form bays – a typical small cottage might comprise just one, or possibly two bays.
A cruck house for a more wealthy family might comprise three or four bays, with the middle two bays forming a central hall. One end bay might house private family rooms while the other end might house a pantry and buttery. Both ends might also have had upper floor accommodation.
Assembly of the cruck pair would take place on the ground, using wooden pegs to join them together; they would then be hoisted into position. The cruck lower ends would first have been scorched to provide a degree of water- and rot-resistance, then rammed into the ground by about a foot (305mm). They would be linked at the top with a ridge pole and lower down by slender poles or purlins.
In between, connecting the cruck pairs, would be lighter timber frame (usually cob in northern areas) that would be clad with wattle and daub panels, or even mud, to form the walls. Alternatively, branches would have been used covered with straw thatch, brushwood or heather which may have extended down to the ground. In areas where stone was easily accessible, this might have been used in place of cob for the lower walling.
Eventually cruck construction was replaced by the box- or timber frame developed throughout Saxon and Norman periods.
[edit] Related articles on Designing Buildings Wiki
- Archaeology and construction.
- Archaeological officer.
- BS 7913: Guide to the Conservation of Historic Buildings.
- Building Preservation Notice.
- Conservation area.
- Historic England.
- Jetty.
- Listed buildings.
- Natural England.
- Natural Resources Wales.
- National Trust.
- Scheduled monuments.
- Scottish Natural Heritage.
- Sites of Special Scientific Interest.
- Society for the Protection of Ancient Buildings.
- Timber frame.
- VAT - protected buildings.
IHBC NewsBlog
Biodiversity Net Gain through UK Construction Projects
The Conservation Hierarchy is a new framework developed by the University of Oxford to help construction projects achieve Biodiversity Net Gain.
How Project Managers for Town Centre Developments can Balance Risk
Jacqueline Hughes, senior risk analyst at Equib, in pbctoday discusses how project managers for town centre developments can get their risk management strategies right.
Red Tape is Strangling our High Streets
A new paper from the Adam Smith Institute argues that the problem with the High Street has been totally misunderstood, saying that we need to reform restrictive planning rules and reject a policy of managed decline to reinvigorate our town centres.
Calculating the full cost of energy used by buildings
The Whole Life Cost of Energy (WLCoE) calculator – issued by government in BETA form – is intended to help building owners and operators to understand the full financial cost of the energy their buildings use, and welcomes feedback
England’s heritage worth £31Bn: New Historic England report
New research published by Historic England (HE) shows the value of heritage to England’s economy as it contributes to economic prosperity and growth through jobs in the heritage and construction sectors and from tourism.
Part of Roman wall in Chester Collapses
Investigations have begun into what caused part of Chester’s Roman city wall to collapse during construction work.
Audit on new housing in England: Design overwhelmingly ‘mediocre’ or ‘poor’
Though conservation professionals' skills in understanding, defining and explaining local character and architecture can help inform new residential design.
Historic England’s ‘21 Fascinating Places Listed in 2019’
Over 500 historic places have been added to the National Heritage List for England (NHLE) in 2019 and Historic England (HE) has showcased 21 highlights.
UK’s iconic first red public telephone box upgraded to GII*
The K2 prototype telephone box situated outside the Royal Academy in London – built as part of the 1924 competition that gave rise to the iconic design and first listed at Grade II in 1986 – has had its listing upgraded to Grade II*.
Historic England publishes guidance on BIM for Heritage
The second in a series focusses on developing the Asset Information Model (AIM).
High Streets Face a Bleak Future Without Rethinking Regeneration Strategies
Reflecting issues that will be encountered across the IHBC’s June 2020 Brighton School, think tank Centre for Cities argues for High Street success.
Take a look inside the first flat in the iconic Battersea Power Station
City A.M took a tour of the first apartment to be completed within the original grade II*-listed power station with designer Tim Boyd of Michaelis Boyd – which also designed the interiors for Soho House and the Groucho Club – and Battersea Power Station’s UK sales director Georgia Siri.