Blackmore's Bell Tower Tree-Ring Dated Ten Years Ago

The bell tower at Blackmore:
Priory Church of St Laurence

Ten years ago today (10 May 2004) work was carried out to establish the date of Blackmore's bell tower. These notes were written soon after the results became known. 

The project used the latest technology available - the science of tree-ring dating (or dendrochronology) - and was carried out by Dr. Martin Bridge, a local expert, from the Oxford Dendrochronology Laboratory. 

Dendrochronology applies the simple fact that trees grow at different rates year on year, depending on weather conditions. Each year will leave a tree ring and by comparing the greater or lesser growth of samples from trees, it is possible to determine the age of timber used in buildings. This technique excites archaeologists because timber framed buildings were generally constructed using ‘green’ wood. This means that the age of a building can be determined with some precision.

A number of samples were taken from the massive bell tower. Three contained the complete bark edge and sapwood. This meant Dr Bridge was able to accurately date when the trees were felled. One sample was dated 1397/98, another 1398/99, and a third 1399/1400. “It is an amazing science”, Andrew Smith, a local church member said. “Dr Bridge tells me that the tower was probably built in 1400, or within the following two years”.

Blackmore’s bell tower is the largest of its kind in Essex and the date of 1400 is much earlier than historians and archaeologists have previously thought. “The date is a major new discovery and has the effect of rewriting the history of the village”, Andrew added.

“We now know that not only was the Nave roof built around 1397, judging by the sixteen coloured heraldic devices present on its ceiling, but also the north doorway and tower built around the same time. This indicates that the Priory Church was at its wealthiest at the end of the fourteenth century.”

In all, nine samples were taken from the bell tower for analysis: seven at floor level and two more from the bell frame.

The samples from the bell frame failed to date, as did one sample at floor level.

Of the six remaining, three gave precise dates of the felling of the tree enabling us to accurately date the bell tower's construction.