Black-and-White Shropshire: Close Studding, Square Panels and How to Date a Timber Frame

What a timber frame actually is

A timber-framed building is a skeleton first and a wall second. Oak posts, beams and braces are cut and joined on the ground, then raised, and the gaps between them are filled with infill panels, usually a woven wooden lattice (wattle) daubed with clay and plastered, or later brick. The timbers carry the load. The plaster only keeps the weather out. That is why a frame can be taken apart, moved, and even sold: the String of Horses Inn, built in Shrewsbury in 1576, now stands at the Avoncroft Museum in Worcestershire.^[1]

The “black-and-white” look is the contrast between dark timbers and pale plaster infill. It is the picture most people have of Shropshire, but the county contains a wide range of frames, and the pattern of the timbers tells you far more than the colour does.

The words you need

• Sill beam: the horizontal timber at the base of the wall, sitting on a stone plinth to keep it out of the wet.
• Post: a main upright, usually at corners and openings.
• Stud: a lighter upright between posts. In close studding there are lots of them.
• Rail: a horizontal timber between posts or studs. A middle rail splits tall studs in two.
• Brace: a diagonal timber that stops the frame racking (leaning sideways).
• Wall plate: the timber along the top of the wall that carries the roof.
• Jetty: an upper storey that overhangs the one below. The beam that carries the overhanging wall is the bressumer.
• Infill: whatever fills the panels between the timbers.

Close studding and square panels

The two patterns you will see most are close studding and square panels. They look different, cost different amounts, and say different things about the owner.

Close studding sets vertical timbers close together so the wall is divided into narrow panels. It became popular in the later 15th century.^[2] It used more timber and took longer to build than plainer framing, so it is generally read as a sign of ambition and money; as a rule of thumb, you find it on better buildings more often than on outbuildings.

Square panels (large-panel framing) use fewer, wider-spaced timbers, so the wall is divided into roughly square or rectangular panels. It is generally quicker and cheaper, so as a rule of thumb it turns up on smaller houses, rear wings and upper storeys, and it is the pattern behind most of the black-and-white you see in everyday streets.

Close panelling uses small square panels, often with decoration, and is usually seen on upper storeys. A middle rail across tall studs is something to look for: it is recorded at Owen's Mansion and at Melverley church.^[3][4]

Reading the bracing

Braces are worth reading because they show how the frame was stiffened, but they do not date a building on their own. Owen's Mansion has arched tension bracing on the first floor, and its listing also records herringbone struts under the gables.^[3] A frame with no visible bracing is not necessarily older or newer. The simple diagonals in the upper storey of the diagram above show a plainer arrangement.

Also look at the corners. A frame whose timbers have twisted, bowed or sagged has been taking load for centuries. A frame that is perfectly straight and square, with timbers of identical colour and width, is worth a second look.

Jetties, carving and decoration

The jetty is the showiest structural trick in the book. Overhanging each upper storey gains floor space in a narrow town plot and shelters the street-level wall from rain. In Shrewsbury and Ludlow you will see jetties on the main streets, often with a moulded bressumer, which is the finished face of the supporting beam.

Some owners paid for carved panels. Owen's Mansion in Shrewsbury carries a plaque recording that it was erected by Richard Owen the Elder in 1569, and the listing describes close studding with a middle rail and arched tension bracing on the first floor, and a jettied second storey with a moulded bressumer and a continuous run of cusped quatrefoil panels, with twisted shafts on the vertical members.^[3] The same entry records oriel windows beneath projecting gables with herringbone struts.^[3]

The Feathers Hotel in Ludlow is Grade I listed, and Historic England's list entry describes the front as early 17th century.^[5] Wikipedia, citing Pevsner and others, gives 1619 and Rees Jones, an attorney who practised at the Council of the Marches, as its builder.^[6] The front is timber-framed with plaster infill and three gables, with carved mullions and transoms, a central porch supporting a first-floor balcony, and motifs of the Prince of Wales's feathers. Inside there is dark oak panelling and plaster ceilings.^[5][6] It shows exactly what the owner was buying: carved, showy timber, not just a roof over his head.

Shropshire examples to look for

Visit with the checklist from the diagram above and you can tell a lot from the street. These are all named in published sources; check opening arrangements yourself before travelling.

• Ludlow, the Feathers Hotel (early 17th century): a carved, three-gabled black-and-white front, Grade I listed.^[5]
• Shrewsbury, Owen's Mansion (1569): close studding, tension bracing and decorative panels in the town centre, Grade II* listed.^[3]
• Pitchford Hall (c. 1560–70): a Tudor timber-framed house with an E-shaped plan, with rendered infill panels on a sandstone rubble plinth, built for Adam Ottley, a Shrewsbury wool merchant.^[7][8] It is Grade I listed. Wikipedia reports, citing Shropshire Life, that Queen Victoria described it in 1832 as “striped black and white”.^[8]
• Melverley, St Peter's Church: a timber-framed church beside the River Vyrnwy, probably late 15th century according to its listing, with a middle rail.^[4]

For the wider picture of Shropshire's historic towns, see our guide to period towns in the Welsh Marches and our overview of Shropshire's architectural heritage.

How to date a frame: five steps

Dating a timber frame by eye is educated guesswork. Treat the answer as a range, and treat precise dates with suspicion unless they come from tree-ring analysis or an inscription. Work through these in order.

1. Look at the pattern. Close studding is generally a sign of ambition and money and became popular in the later 15th century.^[2] Plain large panels may be earlier or simply cheaper.
2. Note any bracing. It shows how the frame was stiffened, but do not rely on it for a date.
3. Look for jetties and carving. Carved bressumers, quatrefoils and herringbone struts are recorded at Owen's Mansion (1569).^[3]
4. Look at the details. Window shape and glazing, chimneys and roof tiles are often later than the frame because owners updated them.
5. Get evidence. A carpenter's mark, a datestone or a listing description gives you a start. Historic England's listing text (search the National Heritage List) is the quickest independent source.

Carpenters numbered the timbers so that each joint could be matched when the frame was assembled. These assembly marks are chiselled or scratched into the timber and are often visible in lofts and cellars.

Genuine or mock Tudor?

Half-timbering was also revived later as a decorative style, and “Tudorbethan” houses are common. In these the half-timbered look is a decorative layer applied over brick or other material, not the structural frame. That does not make them bad buildings, only different ones, and a good Edwardian version can be handsome.

Signs, not proof, that timbering is applied: boards that stop at a perfectly flat brick wall behind, timbers of identical size and colour, regular machine-sawn faces, nails rather than pegs, and no sag or movement in a building that is supposedly centuries old. If in doubt, ask a conservation officer or a structural engineer familiar with historic buildings.

Common myths

• “Old frames are crooked because they were badly built.” Mostly they are crooked because green oak moves as it seasons and loads settle over centuries.
• “You can replace any timber with a modern one.” On a listed building, repairs generally need consent and like-for-like materials. Check with your local authority.

Timber frames and plaster: living with one

If you own an old frame, the main enemy is trapped moisture. Lime-based plaster and breathable paints let the wall dry out; cement render and modern masonry paint can lock damp against the oak. Interior plaster ceilings and cornices in a timber house are usually lime, too, and traditionally made by hand. Handmade plaster details sit comfortably in these rooms in a way that machine-made foam never quite does: see our guides to identifying the period of your house from plasterwork and Tudor style. For historic interiors, a small plaster ceiling rose or a wall light fits the scale of a low-beamed room better than a large piece. Always follow the product's own instructions (see our paintable plaster guide for finishing) and use a qualified electrician for wiring.

Keep reading

• Shropshire architectural heritage
• Period towns in the Welsh Marches: Ludlow and Bridgnorth
• Tudor style guide
• Identify the period of your house from plasterwork
• Plasterwork houses to visit in the UK
• Restoring a period home in Shropshire
• Shrewsbury’s timber-framed buildings: Ireland’s Mansion, Owen’s Mansion, Abbot’s House and Butcher Row
• Elizabethan and Jacobean houses in Shropshire
• Shropshire architects and designers

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Frequently asked questions

What is close studding?

Close studding is a timber-framing pattern with vertical timbers set close together, dividing the wall into narrow panels. It used more timber and labour than plainer framing, so it was a mark of status, and it became popular in the later 15th century.

What is the difference between close studding and square panels?

Close studding uses many narrow uprights. Square panel framing uses fewer, more widely spaced timbers so each panel is roughly square. Close studding was the more expensive and showy of the two.

How can I tell how old a timber-framed house is?

Look at the pattern, the bracing, any jetties and carving, and the details such as windows and chimneys, and treat the result as a range. For a firm date you need tree-ring dating, a datestone or documentary evidence. Historic England's listing description for the building is a good independent starting point.

Are all black-and-white houses in Shropshire genuinely old?

No. Many are medieval or Tudor, but half-timbering was later revived as a decorative style and applied to newer houses. Applied timbering is a decorative layer over brick, not a structural frame.

What is a jetty on a timber-framed building?

A jetty is an upper floor that overhangs the floor below. It gives extra space in a narrow plot and shelters the lower wall. The beam supporting the overhanging wall is called the bressumer.

Where can I see timber-framed buildings in Shropshire?

Shrewsbury and Ludlow are the easiest places to start, with the Feathers Hotel in Ludlow and Owen's Mansion in Shrewsbury as well-documented examples. Pitchford Hall and Melverley church are named examples outside the towns; check access arrangements before you go.

Can I paint the timbers on a listed timber-framed building?

Check with your local planning authority first, because changes to a listed building usually need consent. Find out what paint layers are already there and use breathable materials; sealing damp into oak is a common cause of damage.