Inside Guild Doors of Master Carpenters: From Oak Timber to Cathedral Beams (Medieval)

Описание: Inside Guild Doors of Master Carpenters: From Oak Timber to Cathedral Beams (Medieval)

Step inside the forgotten workshops of the Middle Ages, where master carpenters transformed towering oak trees into the soaring beams of cathedrals, castles, and great halls — all without a single power tool.

In this episode, we follow the complete journey of medieval timber construction: from carefully managed forests where oaks grew for over a century, to the grueling pit-saw trenches where logs were ripped into beams by hand, to the building sites where entire roof frames were raised with nothing but rope, muscle, and extraordinary geometric skill.

Discover how the hammerbeam roof — a uniquely English engineering marvel — was designed and built by Suffolk carpenters in the 15th century. Learn why freshly felled green oak was deliberately used before seasoning, and how mortise-and-tenon joints tightened over centuries to create structures that still stand today. Meet legendary craftsmen like Hugh Herland, the master carpenter behind Westminster Hall's iconic roof, and explore how over 10,000 carpenters shaped medieval England.

From the felling axe to the finished cathedral, this is the story of the men who built the Middle Ages — one beam at a time.

📜 All content based on archaeological evidence, museum curatorial research, and documented medieval guild records.

🔔 Subscribe for more: Weekly explorations of history's greatest workshops and the lost techniques of medieval masters.

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SOURCES & FURTHER READING:

The Metropolitan Museum of Art – Medieval Collections & Curatorial Essays (metmuseum.org)

Victoria and Albert Museum – Medieval Woodwork & Hammerbeam Roofs (vam.ac.uk)

Medievalists.net – "How Carpenters Built Medieval England" (2025)

Guédelon Castle – Experimental Medieval Archaeology (guedelon.fr)

The Cloisters (Met) – Coppicing and Pollarding in Medieval Forests

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#MedievalCarpentry #MedievalHistory #CathedralBuilding #MedievalCrafts #TimberFraming