
The roof of new college oxford: how to run a civilization - sgt101
https://www.atlasobscura.com/places/oak-beams-new-college-oxford
======
eesmith
Here's what New College had to say about the story -
[https://web.archive.org/web/20000817213605/http://www.new.ox...](https://web.archive.org/web/20000817213605/http://www.new.ox.ac.uk:80/NC/Trivia/Oaks/)
(the rest of this comment is a complete copy of that text. NB: it looks like
"JCB" = Junior Common Room = undergraduates; "SCR" = Senior Common Room =
faculty/fellows):

This story regards the replacement of the oak beams in the college dining
hall, and is occasionally given as an example of admirable forward planning.
In its mythical form the story is often attributed to the anthropologist
Gregory Bateson and may be found in a number of places:

    
    
      * Brand, Stewart "How Buildings Learn" Viking, 1994
      * McDonough, William "A Centennial Sermon: Design
            Ecology Ethics and The Making of Things"
    

To summarise, the story relates that at some point in the 19th century the oak
beams in New College's dining hall needed replacing. Since these beams are (it
is claimed) approximately 2 feet square and 45 feet long the purchase of new
timber was prohibitively expensive. When the college forester was asked for
suggestions it transpired that a grove of oaks had been planted when the hall
was built (some 500 years previously) with the specific intention that they
would be used for rennovation.

When the college archivist was asked about this story she came back with the
following information.

In 1859, the JCR told the SCR that the roof in Hall needed repairing, which
was true. (As an aside, at this time, there were few enough people that Hall
contained a grand piano; this can be seen in the Joseph Nash watercolour of
the hall illustrating the Introduction to the Treasures pages.)

In 1862, the senior fellow was visiting College estates on `progress', i.e.,
an annual review of College property, which goes on to this day (performed by
the Warden). Visiting forests in Akeley and Great Horwood, Buckinghamshire
(forests which the College had owned since 1441), he had the largest oaks cut
down and used to make new beams for the ceiling.

It is not the case that these oaks were kept for the express purpose of
replacing the Hall ceiling. It is standard woodland management to grow stands
of mixed broadleaf trees e.g., oaks, interplanted with hazel and ash. The
hazel and ash are coppiced approximately every 20-25 years to yield poles. The
oaks, however, are left to grow on and eventally, after 150 years or more,
they yield large pieces for major construction work such as beams, knees etc.

