Humble abodes

Homes hewn long ago from landscapes we love to walk...

HONEY AND CREAM Castle Combe, Wiltshire

The golden belt of Jurassic limestone streaking across geology maps of England shows up in stonework from Dorset to Yorkshire. But it’s the towns and villages of the Cotswold Hills that most folk associate with the varied mellow shades of this oolitic rock. They range from the honey-hued streets of Broadway in the north to the creamier gables of Castle Combe in the Bybrook Valley, star of numerous films.

‘MAGPIE HOUSES’ Weobley, Herefordshire

Synonymous with the Welsh Marches, black and white villages like Weobley only took on their crossword puzzle guises in the 18th century, when their timber-framed buildings were tarred and whitewashed. It was partly for weather protection and partly to hide their humble construction. By then ‘old hat’, many were medieval in origin, hailing from a time when oak was locally plentiful (and good quality masonry was not).

FLINT-FACED FINERY Singleton, West Sussex

Wherever there is flint-bearing chalk – in Dorset, Wiltshire, the Chilterns, Brecks and North Downs – you’ll find these durable and richly coloured nodules artfully fashioned into attractive cottages, churches and barns. Singleton in Sussex’s South Downs has many fine examples. It’s also home to a delightful hodgepodge of vernacular buildings from across South East England brought together at the Weald & Downland Living Museum.

DRYSTONE AND TURF Gearrannan, Isle of Lewis

Built to withstand Atlantic hoolies, stocky blackhouses like those at Na Gearrannan on the Isle of Lewis were once common across the Hebrides and Scottish Highlands. The original eco-homes, their double drystone walls are packed with earth and covered with thatch or turf, held down by ropes and stones. It’s thought their name stems in part from the soot-blackened roof timbers arising from their smoky open hearths.