A timber bent is the wooden load-bearing structure of two posts and a connecting beam, which together form the cross-frame of a roof, barn or farmhouse. The various examples of timber bents differ mainly in where the cross-beam is joined to the posts. That position determines the height of the usable space and the way the loads are carried down.
Main timber bent examples
Anchor-beam bent
The most common historic bent. The cross-beam (the anchor beam) is wedged low between the posts with a mortise-and-tenon joint and a draw peg, while the posts continue above the beam. This type is strong and stiff and is typical of old barns and farmhouses.
Top-beam bent
Here the cross-beam (the top beam) rests on top of the posts rather than between them. This creates an open, clear space beneath the beam, useful for an unobstructed passage or storage. The top-beam bent is often found in town warehouses.
Intermediate-beam bent
A hybrid form in which the cross-beam is fixed halfway up the posts. The posts run past it both above and below, giving a high usable space above the beam.
Cripple bent
A short, low bent without full-height posts, standing on a wall plate or a heavier beam layer. The “cripple” (shortened) bent carries the upper roof and is used where full post height is not needed.
Application
Timber bents are used in historic farmhouses, barns, warehouses and churches, but the principle lives on in modern timber construction. For a self-build project such as a timber barn, lean-to or open shed, you choose the bent type based on the desired clear height, the span and the look you want from the bent beam.
Related terms
- Timber bent
- Bent plate
- Roof structure
- Purlin
- Anchor beam
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