It may just be timber - but history group Hyde900 has tapped its storytelling potential

The tale involves global power politics, criminal destruction, possible fraud and theft, and then an unlikely kind of rebirth.

And all encompassed in medieval timber now found in the Winchester offices of ADAM Architecture.

A Winchester history group has pieced together what happened to material from Hyde Abbey, the huge monastery destroyed in the 1530s.

Hyde900 believe they have proved that wood from the abbey was not burned as previously supposed but instead later used in the construction of the roof of a nearby building now known as Old Hyde House, also St Bartholomew’s church in Hyde and possibly the church in Micheldever.

Hyde900 would like other householders of historical houses in the area to look at their timber to see if it might also be from Hyde Abbey.

David Spurling, of Hyde900, has had the ADAM timbers analysed and through historical records traced what happened.

He believes the timber is from between 1266-1298 and may have come from one of the huge abbey’s subsidiary buildings such as the Abbots’ lodging or guest house, but probably not the church itself.

People have long suspected that the materials from the abbey were recycled but this is the first time it has been proved.

Hyde900 commissioned dendro-dating expert Dr Andy Moir, who said: “As four of the reused samples appear to derive from a seven-canted roof, a roof type almost invariably found in ecclesiastical buildings, it seems most likely the timbers came from the adjacent Hyde Abbey site”.

Mr Spurling said: “This is a really important step in gaining a better understanding of what the abbey looked like and how it was constructed.

“Although the abbey was first built in the early 12th Century as the final burial place of Alfred the Great it was renewed and refurbished on several occasions due to fire and wear and tear.

"Our discovery suggests that one of the most important renewals was in the second half of the 13th Century when this complex and sophisticated seven canted roof was constructed.”

Mr Spurling added: “We could not have done this without ADAM Architecture not only allowing us to clamber around but through research sponsorship.”

Paul Hanvey, ADAM Architecture technical director, said: “It was of great interest and surprise when we received confirmation from local heritage group Hyde900 that we had such important timber in the roof.

"The practice has a keen interest in the restoration of listed and heritage buildings, so the Grade II & II* buildings, owned by Winchester City Council and now known as Old Hyde House, were an obvious choice for our new head office.

"During the careful restoration and refurbishment in 2012 we became aware that the building contained stones from Hyde Abbey but we didn’t know at that time about the timber.”

He added: “We have followed with interest as Hyde900 researched the dates of the timber beams and concluded that they came from Hyde Abbey.

"It is a very exciting discovery for all involved”.

Hyde900 would like to do more research into the timber and are seeking National Lottery funding.

In a parallel development, a beam in the nearby tower of St. Bartholomew’s Church, Hyde has also been tied into the same 13th Century seven canted roof set along with a beam dated to the 1590s.

“What this demonstrates is that the St. Bart’s tower was almost certainly constructed towards the end of Queen Elizabeth the First’s reign,” said Mr Spurling.

“This helpfully clears up a long-running debate about the age of the tower which was also built mostly from Hyde Abbey stone.”

Edward Fennell, founder of Hyde900, said: “It is a great detective story. The exciting thing is the way the research was undertaken to establish all this.

"There were a lot of clues but do the clues add up? What David and Andy Moir have done is to fit them together.”

Helen Lawrence-Beaton, an architectural historian at ADAM, said: “It is wonderful to have the latest chapter to add to the story of the building.”

Hyde Abbey, built in the 12th century was the last-known resting place of King Alfred the great who died in 899.

His bones were disinterred from New Minister and transferred to Hyde Abbey when it was finished. The bones were later lost.

The abbey was enormous, about 80 per cent the size of Winchester cathedral, the second-longest medieval church in Europe after St Peter’s in Rome.

It fell victim in 1538 to the Dissolution of the Monasteries, part of Henry VIII’s campaign against the catholic church.

Hyde was demolished on the orders of Thomas Wriothelsey, first Earl of the Southampton, who was given a lease by the king enabling him to sell off the building materials.

The abbey was purchased by Richard Bethell in 1546 who used the materials to build the house.

There is no evidence that he paid for the materials, said Mr Spurling, bringing up the possibility of theft or fraud.

The current building is just one wing of Bethell’s original mansion whose gardens ran down to the Hyde Bourne stream.