How Old Is That House?

Advice & Guidance for Researching the Archaeology of Historic Houses

Most settlements in the British Isles contain at least one, and sometimes many, ancient buildings. Historic houses are familiar and popular elements of urban and rural landscapes. However, it may come as a shock to discover that the vast majority of old properties have never been researched in a meaningful sense. This lack of knowledge extends to both well-known and more obscure buildings. Consequently, there is often a cloudy understanding about the true age of many ancient structures.

This online talk will delve into the reasons for such limited understanding and will then offer practical guidance on how to use archaeological techniques to research ancient buildings. We will consider advice on how to track down buildings using archives; the pros and cons of dendrochronology will be outlined, and the techniques of buildings archaeology will be explained. The event will be useful for landowners of ancient buildings, for community groups interested in local architecture, and for anyone with a wayward curiosity about understanding just how old historic buildings are.

The speaker, James Wright (Triskele Heritage), is an award winning buildings archaeologist. He has two decades professional experience of ferreting around in people’s cellars, hunting through their attics and digging up their gardens. He hopes to find meaningful truths about how ordinary and extraordinary folk lived their lives in the mediaeval period. He is the author of the popular Mediaeval Mythbusting Blog.

Event organiser is Triskele Heritage.