Cruck blade holes

[Chilterns]

Saw this just posted on the TFG forum :-

Some cruck timber frames in northern England have a large hole cut through the cruck blade near it's base. The reason for this is currently unclear.

There is some conjecture that this could have been used to raise the https://pbs.twimg.com/media/F9b50OsW0AAq_ix?format=jpg&name=900x900

[img]http://[url=https://pbs.twimg.com/media/F9b50OsW0AAq_ix?format=jpg&name=900x900]https://pbs.twimg.com/media/F9b50OsW0AAq_ix?format=jpg&name=900x900

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[Tom King]

Maybe to insert iron bar to lever or pound it home, possibly in combination with a tourniquet.