Ring‐Width Dendrochronology, Isotopic Dendrochronology and Radiocarbon Dating of Timbers From the Spire Scaffold of Salisbury Cathedral, Wiltshire, England

Journal article

Ten timbers from the spire scaffold of Salisbury Cathedral were dated using a combination of ring‐width dendrochronology, stable oxygen isotopic dendrochronology and radiocarbon dating. Seven timbers were coeval and assigned a combined empirical felling date range of 1352–1378, which was further refined to 1351–1359 (OxCal 95.4%). These results would indicate that the scaffold was not a 1320s construction but instead built later in the 14th century. The remaining sampled timbers produced a precise felling date of spring 1737 and are coincident with documented repair work in 1738.

Authors: Akcicek, K; Miles, D; Bronk Ramsey, C; Davies, D; McCarroll, D

• Publication status: Published
• Peer review status: Peer reviewed
• Publisher: Wiley
• Journal: Archaeometry
• Publication date: 2026-01-19
• Acceptance date: 2025-12-15
• DOI: 10.1111/arcm.70088
• EISSN: 1475-4754
• ISSN: 0003813X, 0003-813X
• Language: English
• Keywords: Salisbury Cathedral; ring‐width dendrochronology; stable isotope dendrochronology; radiocarbon dating