Westminster Hall Hammer Beam Roof

It concludes that the hammer beam carpentry was crucial to the roof s structure and that herland intended the hall s great arched ribs primarily as ornamental components.

Westminster hall hammer beam roof.

The magnificent hammer beam roof of westminster hall is the largest medieval timber roof in northern europe. The work was largely undertaken by the king s chief mason. The earliest remaining hammer beam roof is in pilgrims hall part of the winchester cathedral complex while the largest hammer beam roof appears in westminster hall at the parliament complex in. The roof of westminster hall 1395 1399 is a fine example of a hammerbeam roof.

The paper also places the westminster roof in the context of earlier hammer beam roofs particularly pilgrims hall winchester. Only equally massive buttresses could support the massive hammer beams and arches of westminster hall. 4 in and the opening between the ends of the hammer beams 7 77 metres 25 ft. The beams and the roof itself weigh a collective 836 tons with the timbers of the beams weighing 660 tons.

Westminster hall served as the center of london s legal system hosting the courts of the king s bench common. The span of westminster hall is 20 8 metres 68 ft.