SDO14899 - Myrtle Cottage, 66 Newland, Sherborne, Dorset. Tree-Ring Analysis of Timbers from the former Hall Range.

‘Core samples were obtained from two of the three roof timbers which remain in the former hall range of Myrtle Cottage in Sherborne, Dorset, a principal rafter and a collar. The third remaining timber, a principal rafter, had too few rings and was clearly unsuitable for tree-ring dating. Analysis by dendrochronology of the two samples obtained resulted in a cross-match for only the collar, this sample having a last date ring of 1450. Allowing for a likely number of missing sapwood rings, it is estimated that the timber was felled at some point between 1465 at the earliest and 1490 at the latest.’