VERNACULAR 1700 - Present

Traditional Rural Dwellings

Traditional rural houses were located to take advantage of any available shelter and so blended into the countryside. They were part of a landscape which had evolved over time and included farm buildings as well as gates, fences, walls, gardens and trees.

Rural vernacular houses were rectangular in plan and generally no more than one room deep. The depth was determined by the length of the available roof timbers. This rectangular plan was most commonly divided into three rooms, with the kitchen in the centre. At the heart of the kitchen was the cooking hearth with its chimney on the ridge line; the entrance was always into the kitchen. Windows were small and usually on the front and back wall. The house might be extended upwards in height or lengthwise but not in depth. Though there were variations in the way rooms were laid out the houses tended to fall into two types: hearth lobby and direct entry.