Your help is requested

[Malone]

I have a pal who lives in France and has recently purchased an additional couple of properties to play around with. They are extremely old, dilapidated and needing a lot of restoration. During some of his initial work to identify what the heck he’s actually lumbered himself with he’s found several old timbers.
The property may have been a mill, or a farm or something else unknown, while cleaning around he’s found these pieces of wood and hasn’t a clue what they could be.
Bear in mind this place is several hundred years old, and a lot of the internals have been hand crafted without the benefit of power tools.

There are these 4 long timbers c.3.5m long and 20cm square with the ends of around 30cm.

The question asked, is what could they be for? Are they structural, perhaps to build a sluice way? Your thoughts will be welcomed, even if someone suggests something along the lines of giant Jenga, or outriggers for Fred Flintstones new car etc.

some pics

 

[Malone]

A picture elsewhere inside, again showing the hand made wood works

 

[andyBeaker]

look like part of a building alright…and they are awesome!

 

[Lee337]

I have beams similar to that in my study. The house is probably circa 18th century.

There are also similar beams in the kitchen but that's a 1970 extension. The beams probably were recycled from the old 19th century pig stys that were demolished to build the garage.