600-Year-Old Floorboards From Shakespeare's Time Discovered at St. George's Guildhall

The Guardian has reported that 600-year-old oak floorboards have been discovered at St George’s Guildhall.  They are believed to be the only surviving stage from William Shakespeare’s time.

Read the full story HERE. 

St George’s Guildhall in King’s Lynn, Norfolk was a religious meeting house in the early 15th century, and later became a theatrical venue. In 1593, Shakespeare and his company of actors were on tour in King’s Lynn, and a note in the theatre’s account book shows Shakespeare’s company was paid to perform there.

In 2016, the guildhall received government funding for restoration, and for the past two months, archaeological work has been under way.

Some of the original wood floor has been dated to between 1417 and 1430.

Tim FitzHigham, the site’s creative director, stated, “Experts are now confidently saying these are the floorboards Shakespeare would have trodden,” he said. “It makes this building important nationally and internationally.”

Dr Jonathan Clark. the archaeologist leading the project stated, “It is very unusual to have so much of the original floor surviving. Usually you might have beams and joists but the actual flooring has usually been replaced... We can date the flooring by the construction type – these boards are pegged to secure them, which is a medieval technique. We also had some sampling done, which provided us with a tree ring date from the growth rings in the timber and it is an early 15th-century floor.”

Read the full story HERE.