Iron Age - Granary

Based on the endless varieties of a 'four post structure'

The decision to build a granary (grain store) on this format was taken because, as a working farm, it would have been necessary to store food grain safely, and the shape gives a greater range of possibilities in design.

The legs are oak posts, stripped of bark, set 18 inches (0.5m) into the ground. On the top of these posts are wider discs of wood to deter mice from attempting to climb up them. (When later granaries were built, they were put on stone 'mushrooms' called Staddle Stones for exactly the same reason.)

The main box is 4ft x 6ft (1.3 x 2m) and 5ft (1.75m) high.
It has been constructed from oak, with all joints based on finds from excavations like the Somerset Levels, where large quantities of worked wood survive because of the anaerobic conditions.

The main box is held together entirely by joints, no nails or pegs used.
The rafters in the roof have all been stripped of bark to maintain a clean safe interior, as there is nowhere to harbor pests such as insects.

The decision to top it with a pyramidal roof is a practical one. Most constructions of this kind have a ridged roof, but this leaves two walls exposed to the weather!

Within the granary a box was constructed, not touching the walls, and aprox 1.5m high. One of the experiments undertaken was the storage of 500kg of grain, over the course of a year. The experiment was a success, and the grain was fine.

Paper available at the bottom of the page.