Hammer Beam Roof Stirling Castle

Stirling castle up.

Hammer beam roof stirling castle.

Stirling castle was a key component of the itinerary and therefore was the focal point of the visit to scotland with the rest of the two day experience fitting around it. C15th hammer beam angel roof above nave with cherubim full length seraphim other standing figures. You can see all the timber when you look up from inside the hall. Being well situated in the scottish central belt the castle s location offered a high standard of local accommodation which allowed guests to walk to and from the venue.

Recently as part of an extensive restoration project undertaken by historic scotland the hammerbeam roof of the great hall at stirling castle was completely. It has been an historic year for scotland and for me the memories of the opening of the scottish parliament in july are fresh and vivid. Because the stone ridge beasts weighed three fourths of a ton they could only be placed where the hammer beam roof was strongest. Stirling castle by some considerable margin but its fine hammer beam roof survives one of only two late medieval roofs remaining in scotland the other is at darnaway castle moray.

A hammer beam roof is a medieval technique that uses wood beams as a network of cantilevers and trusses on the inside to make the roof strong over such a big wide open room. Timber framing timber roof truss winchester english gothic architecture hampton court palace eltham palace palace of westminster middle temple stirling castle 1992 windsor castle fire rafter beam structure winchester cathedral the pilgrims school arch burghley house stamford lincolnshire spandrel historic scotland perthshire james iv of scotland. It s a jigsaw puzzle of beautiful triangles that are amazing to behold. The roof s stone console brackets are richly carved not only with the royal cipher but also and more.

A spectacular modern example of a hammer beam roof is the new gothic roof of st george s hall at windsor castle designed by giles downe and completed in 1997 this replaced the previous flatter roof which was destroyed in the 1992 windsor castle fire. This is as true now as it was 300 years ago. In addition to years of neglect in the 1700 s when stirling castle was used as a military base an extra floor was inserted in the hall for use as military barracks deconstructing the wonderful hammer beam roof to suit the purposes of the soldiers for accommodation. Sometimes but rarely the collar beam is similarly treated or cut through and supported by additional curved braces as in the hall of the middle temple london.

The hall was now grey and reflected its much grittier purpose. The queen told 250 guests.