Trestle Table Eating In Medieval Style

Many of today's tables are designed after the trestle table which dates back to the ancient Greeks and Romans. It was the popular style in the 14th century. A very practical design, it is simply a matter of laying a few boards across two stands. You will see this design employed in modern day picnic tables to Amish hand-crafted dining tables.

During the Middle Ages the dormant table was a stationary trestle table covered with a carpet or a runner. In Medieval times monasteries had very long trestle tables in their refectory or group dining room and they later became known as refectory tables. In late Middle Ages this type of table was the preference for banquets and feasts held in castles and large estates. These tables were crafted from solid wood for royalty and noblemen. What a fine commission for a woodworker in those times.

One trestle table was recorded to be 54 feet in length. Hence the advent of the refectory table, the name coming came from the room in the monastery or castle were used. This new type of table was known as a "joined" table because it was put together by the type of carpenter known as a joiner.

In the 16th century the basic trestle design was made more static and the gate-leg and refractory tables were created. With the ease of assembly and storage this design of table has been very popular to this day as those seated are not effected by the legs of a traditional table with fixed corner legs.

Today the trestle table can be seen in designs of outdoor furniture like picnic tables to handcrafted Amish dining tables. Americana is a well-known and loved traditional Amish style as are Shaker and Arts and Crafts Mission style. Like the table of the Middle Ages, the Mission style is braced together using a stretcher beam and keyed tenon through the center of every trestle.

These pillars were sometimes just plain and other times ornately decorated. Very few medieval tables exist today, but a fine example can be viewed in the Great Hall of Penshurst Place, Kent where a pair has been in existence since the 15th century. Something of this caliber, if you were lucky enough to find it, would be priceless.

Diners from the middle Ages looking for a place to set out the roasted boar and pheasant just laid out a couple of boards across two stands and called it a feast. Today we place a piece of plywood across a couple of sawhorses and call it a picnic. Though this design has taken many forms, some plain, some ornate but it is basically the same design from ancient time.

The primary reason for sealing wood is to keep it from drying and cracking and getting stained. Those old tables must have had a lot of character, you could probably tell what the fare was for dinner by the stains.

Place in a gorgeous trestle table to your home. A gorgeous choice of any trestle tables would add a fantastic look to your dining area. Head online and find your table now.