English Historic Carpentry by Cecil A Hewett (1997 edition)

English Historic Carpentry by Cecil A Hewett

Documents the structure of the world's greatest timber buildings, and shows how
the framer's craft has evolved over the past 1,000 years.

English Historic Carpentry describes and illustrates all of the classes of structural carpentry known to the author in England, from Royal works to Vernacular buildings. Joinery techniques are illustrated as are structural devices and timber moldings. Hewett has developed and proved his theory from the 1960s regarding the identification and dating of historic buildings from their joinery techniques. This is the definitive book on the subject.

Rarely can a work on ancient methods of building construc-tion have had such a broad spectrum of interest as this magnum opus. Hewett's book is considered the seminal work on historic timber buildings and their construction. The great contribution that Cecil Hewett made to architectural history was his proof that the methods of assembling timber buildings, particularly the joints used, follow a strict historical sequence, as datable as ceramics.

The popularity of timber framed houses in the United States has been rapidly growing over the last ten years. This book will have a special appeal to all those interested in this type of construction because of the extensive joinery illustrations that Hewett has incorporated into the text. This is an in-depth discussion of timber framing and the historical progression of techniques used in the field.

Cecil H. Hewett was the senior officer in the Historic Buildings and Conservation Section with Essex County Council in England. He was a highly skilled woodworker, a lecturer, and a painter.