Dating the middle wing

Over the last couple of days we have been working in the lower floor of the middle wing. We have been ripping out some partition walls and an old ceiling to bring what were three rooms back to their original configuration of one large room. Whilst working we had been wondering about the date that this wing was built. Now we have cleared everything out we think we have found some

answers as well as a lot of original features. The room has a very big oak beam stretching right across the middle of the ceiling. At some point this had been covered in plaster so we have been stripping this old plaster off. Late morning half way through getting the plaster off the beam we made a great discovery - a date carved into it! The date was 1740 which could suggest that this was the date that this wing was constructed. However I suspect that it is actually the date that this wing was updated and extended. During this time the chateau was owned by Gabriel de Greaulme.  My reasoning for it being the date of a major update and extension lies in the building itself. Also that even today when you refurb a building you often leave your name and a date somewhere that will be covered up - only to be revealed to future generations when they also refurb. I think whoever covered the oak beam with plaster carved the date before covering it up. It is clear from the outside of this wing where it joins the square tower that is was built at the same time as the tower. The tower is almost certainly from the 1500's which would mean that this wing is too. Also the wing was once smaller as can be confirmed by some original cornerstones that are now in the middle of the wall. So I deduct that the wing was built in the 1500's but extended and made higher with some major updating in the mid 1700's.

We also found a part of the original sound insulation from the 1700's. Most of the floor on the level above has

been replaced with wood, originally it was brick tiles and a small area with these tiles still exists. Below this area as we pulled the later plaster down we found the original beams with the mud, straw and horse hair insulation - see pic.

Where the oak beam goes into the main walls there are decorative stone corbels, we stripped the old plaster off these only to find that sadly the plasterers had chipped them all over - most likely to get the plaster to adhere better. There is also the remains of some very old decoration on the walls. I am not sure if it is the original decoration from the 1700's or not. As you can see in the photo it is

painted to look like wooden beams! Now we have taken everything

out you can really get a feel for the original size of the room. Unfortunately we will not keep it this size because it will be made into a living room and an en-suite bedroom. We will keep the original 280 year old brick tiles on the living room floor but will relay them and give them a good clean up. As you will see from the first photo we are also keeping the wooden room divider which dates from the mid 1800's renovation. We have sent most of it away to be stripped and cleaned before we either re paint or polish it. This will separate the bedroom from the en-suite bathroom. We will of course keep the beams exposed but with modern plaster between them. We will also put in a glass panels so that the mud insulation and also the wall decoration can still be seen by future guests.