Tree-ring analysis of Manor Barn, Great Newstead found 23 samples of 11 rings spanning AD 1670-1780. Three main fellings were identified: AD 1744, 1766, and 1780. The earliest timbers in the building are from the drawing room and were felled in AD 1744. The adjoining hall contained timbers felled in AD 1766 and the workroom is built from timber felled in AD 1780. The building can now be tentatively phased, with the drawing room built first, followed by the hall and landing and finally the work room. Timbers from the hall/workroom interface may also date to 1780 when the building was undergoing alterations. The site chronology produced will help in the creation of a continuous post medieval reference tree ring chronology for Kent. (1)

<1> English Heritage, 2003, Tree-Ring Analysis of Timbers from Manor Barn, Great Newstead, Staplehurst, Kent (Unpublished document). SKE13671.