Close studding is a form of timber work used in timber-framed buildings in which vertical timbers (studs) are set close together, dividing the wall into narrow panels. Rather than being a structural feature, the primary aim of close studding is to produce an impressive front.[1]
Close studding first appeared in England in the 13th century and was commonly used there from the mid-15th century until the end of the 17th century. It was also common in France from the 15th century.
Close studding with (right) and without (left) middle rail. Braces are not shown
Although close studding is defined by the distance between the vertical timbers, the spacing used is variable, up to a maximum of around 2 feet (600 mm).[2] Studs can either span the full height of the storey or be divided by a middle (or intermediate) rail. To give the frame stability, some form of diagonal bracing is required.[2]Limewash and coloured paints would have been used to enhance the pattern.[2]
History and usage
The use of close studding possibly originated in East Anglia, where the technique was employed in the earliest surviving timber walls thought to date from the early 13th century.[2] Among the earliest examples outside East Anglia are St Michael's Church, Baddiley in Cheshire (1308)[3] and Mancetter Manor in Warwickshire (c. 1330).[4] It became fashionable in England around 1400, and by the middle of the 15th century close studding was widely used across that country.[2][5] Its popularity coincided with the dominance of the Perpendicular style of architecture, with its emphasis on verticals.[6] Close studding remained in common use in England until the end of the 17th century.[5] Close-studded buildings dating from the 15th and 16th centuries are also seen in France,[7][8] and some experts believe the technique might have originated there.[6] Close studding is very common in the Normandy region of France.
Compared with square framing, close studding uses a lot of timber and is time-consuming to construct; it was therefore particularly employed for buildings of relatively high status. Public buildings such as guildhalls, market halls, churches and inns often employed close studding. It was also used for private houses of the wealthy, particularly townhouses but also the more prosperous farmhouses.[2][5] Close studding was not usually employed in outbuildings, although occasional examples exist, such as the Gunthwaite Hall barn in Barnsley.[9] Although most examples occur in entirely timber-framed buildings, close studding was also used on the upper storeys of houses with a stone or brick ground storey; examples include the Dragon Hall in Norwich and the Café 'Cave St-Vincent' in Compiègne, France.[1][10]
With its lavish use of timber, close studding was extravagant and was seen as a status symbol.[2][11] This led to it being faked with paint or even cosmetic planking.[2] The heavy timber consumption probably also contributed to the decline in the use of close studding from the end of the 17th century, with a reduced supply of domestic hardwood as well as increased competition for timber.[11][12]
Variations
Guildhall, Lavenham, an example of close studding of the East Anglia school
Regional variation occurred across England in the use of the middle rail, which was common in the midlands but rare in the east and south east.[2] Variation in bracing is also seen. Some close-studded buildings, mainly dated before the mid-16th century, have arch or tension bracing to the exterior; examples include the Guildhall in Lavenham[13] and the Chantry House in Bunbury.[14] In later use, however, braces were usually constructed on the interior and concealed by plaster panelling.[2]
Close studding was sometimes used in association with decorative panel work or close panelling, particularly from the end of the 16th century.[15] In such buildings, the lower storey would usually employ close studding, while the upper storeys would have small square panels with or without ornamentation. Examples include the White Lion in Congleton[16] and Moat Farm in Longdon.[17] An ornamental effect was also sometimes obtained with herringbone or chevron bracing between the uprights.[18]
Selected examples
Good examples of the various forms of the technique include:
St Peter's Church, Melverley, Shropshire: close studding with middle rail (late 15th century)[22]
Inns and cafés
Bear's Head Hotel, Brereton, Cheshire: close studding with two rails (1615)[16][23]
Café 'Cave St-Vincent', Compiègne, France: close studding with braces on upper storey over brick ground floor with stone trimming (15th century)[7][10]
White Lion, Congleton, Cheshire: lower storey has close studding, with decorative panelling above (early 16th century)[16][27]
The Falcon, Chester, Cheshire, formerly a town house, now a public house, which has close studding on its east front at the level of the Chester Rows.[28]
Moat Farm, Longdon, Worcestershire: close studding with middle rail on ground floor; upper floor mixes square framing and decorative panelling[17]
Moss Hall, Audlem, Cheshire: close studding with middle rails to each storey, with no decorative panelling (1616)[33][34]
Paycocke's, Coggeshall, Essex: the main elevation has close studding on both storeys, with a middle rail on the ground floor (c. 1500)[17][35][36]
Public halls
Booth Hall or Round House, Evesham, Worcestershire: close studding with middle rail on all three storeys (late 15th century)[31][37]
Dragon Hall, Norwich, Norfolk: close studding without middle rail to first floor, over brick and flint ground floor (14th century)[1][38]
Guildhall, Lavenham, Suffolk: close studding to all storeys, with tension braces and no middle rail (early 16th century)[13][39]
Moot Hall, Fordwich, Kent: close-studded overhanging first storey with brick or plaster infill and no middle rail; the ground floor in brick and flint was rebuilt at a later date (early 15th century)[17][40]
Town residence, Albi, France: close studding on three storeys (16th century)[8]
See also
Poteaux-sur-sol construction in the historical region of North America known as New France, which can have a similar appearance
Notes and references
^ abcLooking at Buildings (Pevsner Architectural Guides): Close Studding (accessed 20 October 2017)
McKenna L. Timber Framed Buildings in Cheshire (Cheshire County Council; 1994) (ISBN0-906765-16-1)
Brooks A, Pevsner N. Worcestershire: The Buildings of England (revised edn) (Yale University Press; 2007) (ISBN0-300-11298-X)
January 07, 2023
close, studding, form, timber, work, used, timber, framed, buildings, which, vertical, timbers, studs, close, together, dividing, wall, into, narrow, panels, rather, than, being, structural, feature, primary, close, studding, produce, impressive, front, crown,. Close studding is a form of timber work used in timber framed buildings in which vertical timbers studs are set close together dividing the wall into narrow panels Rather than being a structural feature the primary aim of close studding is to produce an impressive front 1 Crown Hotel Nantwich an example of late 16th century close studding Close studding first appeared in England in the 13th century and was commonly used there from the mid 15th century until the end of the 17th century It was also common in France from the 15th century Contents 1 Description 2 History and usage 3 Variations 4 Selected examples 4 1 Churches 4 2 Inns and cafes 4 3 Private houses 4 4 Public halls 5 See also 6 Notes and references 6 1 SourcesDescription Edit Close studding with right and without left middle rail Braces are not shown Although close studding is defined by the distance between the vertical timbers the spacing used is variable up to a maximum of around 2 feet 600 mm 2 Studs can either span the full height of the storey or be divided by a middle or intermediate rail To give the frame stability some form of diagonal bracing is required 2 Limewash and coloured paints would have been used to enhance the pattern 2 History and usage EditThe use of close studding possibly originated in East Anglia where the technique was employed in the earliest surviving timber walls thought to date from the early 13th century 2 Among the earliest examples outside East Anglia are St Michael s Church Baddiley in Cheshire 1308 3 and Mancetter Manor in Warwickshire c 1330 4 It became fashionable in England around 1400 and by the middle of the 15th century close studding was widely used across that country 2 5 Its popularity coincided with the dominance of the Perpendicular style of architecture with its emphasis on verticals 6 Close studding remained in common use in England until the end of the 17th century 5 Close studded buildings dating from the 15th and 16th centuries are also seen in France 7 8 and some experts believe the technique might have originated there 6 Close studding is very common in the Normandy region of France St Michael s Church Baddiley one of the oldest surviving close studded buildings Compared with square framing close studding uses a lot of timber and is time consuming to construct it was therefore particularly employed for buildings of relatively high status Public buildings such as guildhalls market halls churches and inns often employed close studding It was also used for private houses of the wealthy particularly townhouses but also the more prosperous farmhouses 2 5 Close studding was not usually employed in outbuildings although occasional examples exist such as the Gunthwaite Hall barn in Barnsley 9 Although most examples occur in entirely timber framed buildings close studding was also used on the upper storeys of houses with a stone or brick ground storey examples include the Dragon Hall in Norwich and the Cafe Cave St Vincent in Compiegne France 1 10 With its lavish use of timber close studding was extravagant and was seen as a status symbol 2 11 This led to it being faked with paint or even cosmetic planking 2 The heavy timber consumption probably also contributed to the decline in the use of close studding from the end of the 17th century with a reduced supply of domestic hardwood as well as increased competition for timber 11 12 Variations Edit Guildhall Lavenham an example of close studding of the East Anglia school Regional variation occurred across England in the use of the middle rail which was common in the midlands but rare in the east and south east 2 Variation in bracing is also seen Some close studded buildings mainly dated before the mid 16th century have arch or tension bracing to the exterior examples include the Guildhall in Lavenham 13 and the Chantry House in Bunbury 14 In later use however braces were usually constructed on the interior and concealed by plaster panelling 2 Close studding was sometimes used in association with decorative panel work or close panelling particularly from the end of the 16th century 15 In such buildings the lower storey would usually employ close studding while the upper storeys would have small square panels with or without ornamentation Examples include the White Lion in Congleton 16 and Moat Farm in Longdon 17 An ornamental effect was also sometimes obtained with herringbone or chevron bracing between the uprights 18 Selected examples EditGood examples of the various forms of the technique include Churches Edit Church of St James and St Paul Marton Cheshire close studding with middle rail c 1370 19 St Michael s Church Baddiley Cheshire the chancel has close studding without a middle rail with later brick infill 1308 3 20 St Michael and All Angels Church Altcar West Lancashire mostly close studded with middle rail a much later example of 1879 21 St Peter s Church Melverley Shropshire close studding with middle rail late 15th century 22 Inns and cafes Edit Bear s Head Hotel Brereton Cheshire close studding with two rails 1615 16 23 Cafe Cave St Vincent Compiegne France close studding with braces on upper storey over brick ground floor with stone trimming 15th century 7 10 Crown Hotel Nantwich Cheshire close studding on all three storeys with middle rail c 1584 24 25 String of Horses Inn originally at Frankwell Shrewsbury Shropshire now at Avoncroft Museum of Historic Buildings close studding with middle rail on both ground and first storeys 1576 17 26 White Lion Congleton Cheshire lower storey has close studding with decorative panelling above early 16th century 16 27 The Falcon Chester Cheshire formerly a town house now a public house which has close studding on its east front at the level of the Chester Rows 28 Private houses Edit Chantry House Bunbury Cheshire very close studding with tension braces and arch bracing and no middle rail 1527 14 29 Gawsworth Old Rectory Gawsworth Cheshire close studding with middle rail and arch bracing late 16th century 14 30 Greyfriars Worcester Worcestershire close studding with middle rail to both storeys c 1480 1500 31 32 Mancetter Manor Mancetter Warwickshire close studding with plaster infill c 1330 4 6 Moat Farm Longdon Worcestershire close studding with middle rail on ground floor upper floor mixes square framing and decorative panelling 17 Moss Hall Audlem Cheshire close studding with middle rails to each storey with no decorative panelling 1616 33 34 Paycocke s Coggeshall Essex the main elevation has close studding on both storeys with a middle rail on the ground floor c 1500 17 35 36 Public halls Edit Booth Hall or Round House Evesham Worcestershire close studding with middle rail on all three storeys late 15th century 31 37 Dragon Hall Norwich Norfolk close studding without middle rail to first floor over brick and flint ground floor 14th century 1 38 Guildhall Lavenham Suffolk close studding to all storeys with tension braces and no middle rail early 16th century 13 39 Moot Hall Fordwich Kent close studded overhanging first storey with brick or plaster infill and no middle rail the ground floor in brick and flint was rebuilt at a later date early 15th century 17 40 Town residence Albi France close studding on three storeys 16th century 8 See also EditPoteaux sur sol construction in the historical region of North America known as New France which can have a similar appearanceNotes and references Edit a b c Looking at Buildings Pevsner Architectural Guides Close Studding accessed 20 October 2017 a b c d e f g h i j Harris 2003 pp 60 63 a b Images of England Church of St Michael accessed 9 October 2007 a b Images of England Mancetter Manor and attached gatepier accessed 10 October 2007 a b c Harris 2003 pp 22 25 a b c Currie CRJ The age of carpentry the new art and society in Plantagenet England 2001 accessed 10 October 2007 a b Hartills Art 2004 Section Two Medieval accessed 10 October 2007 a b Hartills Art 2004 Section Three Renaissance Architecture accessed 10 October 2007 Images of England Gunthwaite Hall barn accessed 10 October 2007 a b Scholars Resource Cafe Cave St Vincent accessed 10 October 2007 a b Russell P Timber framed buildings and roofs The Building Conservation Directory 1993 accessed 11 October 2007 Harris 2003 p 83 a b McKenna 1994 p 8 a b c McKenna 1994 pp 6 7 Price S Molyneux N The domestic timber framed tradition p 38 in Brooks amp Pevsner 2007 a b c McKenna 1994 p 41 a b c d e Harris 2003 p 33 36 McKenna 1994 p 32 Images of England Church of St James and St Paul accessed 10 October 2007 McKenna 1994 p 45 Images of England Church of St Michael and All Saints Altcar accessed 21 March 2008 Images of England Church of St Peter accessed 10 October 2007 Images of England The Bear s Head Hotel accessed 9 October 2007 McKenna 1994 p 18 Images of England Crown Inn amp Coffee House Cafe accessed 9 October 2007 Images of England The String of Horses accessed 9 October 2007 Images of England Ye Olde White Lion Public House accessed 9 October 2007 Images of England Falcon Inn Chester English Heritage retrieved 18 July 2009 Images of England The Chantry House accessed 10 October 2007 Images of England The Old Rectory accessed 10 October 2007 a b Brooks amp Pevsner 2007 p 35 Images of England Greyfriars Friar Street accessed 11 October 2007 McKenna 1994 p 20 21 Images of England Moss Hall accessed 10 October 2007 Images of England Paycocke s accessed 9 October 2007 National Trust Paycocke s Archived 2007 09 30 at the Wayback Machine accessed 9 October 2007 Images of England No 2 Bridge Street Round House National Westminster Bank accessed 11 October 2007 Images of England The Old Barge 115 123 King Street accessed 11 October 2007 Images of England The Guildhall accessed 10 October 2007 Images of England Town Hall accessed 9 October 2007 Sources Edit Harris R Discovering Timber framed Buildings Shire Publications Princes Risborough 2003 ISBN 0 7478 0215 7 McKenna L Timber Framed Buildings in Cheshire Cheshire County Council 1994 ISBN 0 906765 16 1 Brooks A Pevsner N Worcestershire The Buildings of England revised edn Yale University Press 2007 ISBN 0 300 11298 X Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Close studding amp oldid 1103765798, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
