Restoration work has uncovered the frame of what could be Wakefield’s oldest surviving timber building. The discovery was made during work being carried out in Silver Street as part of a £3.8m conservation scheme. Timber from the frame, which includes carved posts usually associated with a high-status house, is being analysed, but it is thought it could date back to the 1500s. Wakefield Council leader Denise Jeffery called it an “exciting discovery”. …”Scientific investigations are underway to date the timbers, and we await the experts’ verdict, but it is possible this fantastic project has revealed the oldest surviving timber building in our city,” said Jeffery. The building has been covered up to preserve the timbers but the council has released an image of what the frame looks like.