A rare mid-17th century oak trestle table with integral fixed benches, dated 1655


Very possibly with 16th century elements and attributed to the West CountryThe highly impressive end-cleated and fully-framed single-piece top above a dentil-moulded frieze, and applied scroll-profiled end-friezes, one carved with the initials and date 'W L 1655 T G', raised on three waist-shaped trestle-type supports, with central dentil-moulded stretcher, raised on three long sledge-type feet, into which a long bench or form is mortised-and-tenoned on each long side of the table, together with a foot-rest board, restorations, possible historic adaptions, 511cm wide x 163cm deep x 83cm high, (201in wide x 64in deep x 32 1/2in high)
|Provenance:The Feoffees Meeting Rooms, Landkey United Charities, Barnstaple, Devon. There is documented evidence of Feoffees in Landkey from the reign of Edward IV [1442-1483], (see records deposited with the South West Heritage Trust - formerly Devon Record Office), and feoffees were certainly active during the mid-seventeenth century when the date of 1655 was presumably carved on this table. The present feoffees are known as the trustees of the Landkey United Charities [Charity no. 233786]. They own several properties in the village, including meeting rooms in which this table was recently housed. The meeting rooms have seldom been used following the closure of the adjacent pub - which provided lavatories! - and upon recently reviewing its assets the Trustees decided to convert the meeting rooms into a dwelling. This has necessitated the removal and sale of this table. Because of its size and with no easy exit it would seem the table had been in the meeting rooms since before their construction/alteration in the nineteenth century. The trustees have made enquiries but unfortunately have no information on the origins of the table. Its situation suggests that it has been used for meetings and educational uses rather than domestic purposes for some time. Michael Gee, Landkey United Charities, July 2018.