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More than 5000 entries on the history, culture and life of Britain (published in 1993 by Macmillan, now out of print)
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hammer-beam roof
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A form of construction for timber roofs, in use in the 14–16C and peculiar to England. The hammer beams are short thick timbers projecting inwards from the side walls at the base of a sloping roof. They support vertical hammer posts up to the next tier of the structure, as well as braces which arch inwards to the centre. Though weaker than a tie beam reaching across the full width, the system makes possible a much more open roof structure with maximum opportunities for carved decoration. The best-known hammer-beam roof, and the earliest surviving large-scale example, is the one in *Westminster Hall by the master carpenter Hugh Herland.
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