News

Members' topics

This page is available as a noticeboard:

  • Well interior Chailey 2015Domestic well interior. (Chailey 2015).

    For Members' own projects or interests, whether under the auspices of the Group or not. You can invite comment, or ask for participation.
  • To suggest areas or topics you would like to see studied, and to appeal for partners.

To add your project(s) and ideas send brief details to Peter Varlow by email or use the Contact form.

Projects can be national, Weald-wide, or local. They can be general or on a particular topic.

Wells - worth looking into?

Solid treads re-used c.1600 for an attic stair in the ceiling-over of the service chamber of a medieval hall house of 1473d. (Chailey, 2015)Solid treads re-used c.1600 for an attic stair in the flooring-over of a hall house of c.1475. (Chailey, 2015).

Peter Varlow thinks it surprising that there is not more published research about domestic water wells in the gardens of vernacular houses.

If you agree and are interested in the possibility of a project to study wells in more depth, please contact him. He is planning an archaeological dig alongside a well.

Or would you prefer to look up stairs?

Medieval stairs, with solid triangular-section treads pegged and/or nailed to a pair of sloping bearers, are not rare but neither are they common.

How many have been identied in the Weald?

If you feel there's a case for more study of those that survive, in houses and - perhaps more frequently - in church towers, contact Peter Varlow.