Strange diagonal wooden structure in loft

[Meriki]

Hi, I was thinking about doing something with the loft in my new house so I go up to investigate and find diagonal enclosed wooden structure. It's not touching the walls just goes from roof at the back of the house to the ceiling in the middle, I would be above the top of the stairs and gets wider as it goes down. I googled "Strange diagonal wooden structure in loft" but it can't tell me? What is it? Thanks and sorry if this is something obvious!

 

[JBR]

Photos please.

(Thought I'd be the first to ask this time!)

 

[lostinthelight]

I googled "Strange diagonal wooden structure in loft" but it can't tell me? What is it?

I think you may have been throwing google a curved ball. with that search? try something like . Types of roof timber construction. or Roof truss construction and select images.
litl

 

[Meriki]

So photos. The side, the front, the bottom and the top. Sorry it the photos aren't great.

 

[magicmushroom666]

Whats on the ceiling below it? Looks like its been rendered from the inside. Some sort of light tunnel?

 

[JohnD]

L&P plastered from the inside is very strange, so there must surely be room for a man inside. Could it be a fire escape to a roof hatch?

A skylight could be right, but I don't think I've ever seen a sun pipe so old.

Is there a hatch or skylight still visible on the roof, or in the room below? Or a room or staircase with no window for natural light?

What are the dimensions? Is there an access hatch in the loft?

Intriguing!

 

[Meriki]

There is a false ceiling above the stairs so I can't see what's directly below it. I also can't see anything on the roof but it may be behind the chimney. At the top it would be about 40cm and athe the bottom about 100cm these are estimates as I can't get up in the loft right now. The previous owners had the roof re-done in ~2009. It is strange isn't it?!

 

[garyo]

How on earth did they plaster the inside of that... poor spread...

 

[footprints]

Seen something similar in the Great Pyramid to aid the Pharaoh on his trip to the afterlife, does it point to the north star?

My other guess would be a light tunnel, I have seen old houses that had a duct up to a skylight to light the landing usually a leaky old metal window at the top, I reckon it was done away with as they leak and are almost impossible to clean.

Cue

 

[vinn]

I'd agree with the possible some kind of light tube/funnel suggestions.
However, the roof exit would actually come out just below a chimney stack.
But, allowing for that possibly shadowed location, the OP does mention that its directly above the stairwell where it could have provided a form of permanent lighting?

OP, photo 133.9 shows some disturbed underslate white sheet material just by the chimney stack - it looks as though something (the lead back gutter) has collapsed or some rubble has fallen?
The final common rafter next to the party wall also looks a bit odd at the lower end?

 

[wessex101]

Looks like a light well to me too. Probably used to be a rooflight at the top and a glazed hatch at the bottom to bring some natural light to the stairs.

 

[Meriki]

So if it is a light well, it doesn't need to be there and can be gotten rid of, yes?

 

[wessex101]

Don't see why not.

 

[footprints]

Like wot wessex101 said, can't see any reason why not!
Maybe cut a small access hole just to check if there is anything in there first.