The walls of these cob homes were – are – terribly thick, about three feet, to ensure strength and stability. The layers were built up gradually, each one drying out before another layer was added. Walls were built up in layers of the prepared cob on a stone base. OK: cob is a mix of dung, earth, straw and water, trodden altogether to a suitable consistency. Old Mother Hubbard’s home near us here is of such cob and thatch. How was a cob home made? The traditional materials are cob (just wait ’til I get to what cob actually is) and stone. The cob house with its thick, handsome walls, is warm in winter, cool in summer. Londoners doing over these cottages often knock down walls inside, creating larger open spaces, yet keeping many of the original features. Usually with a thatch roof, the ceilings are low inside, and rooms tend to be small. The age of these homes, including the church which is over 7 centuries old, speaks to the position of its homes in this combe.Ī cob home takes your breath away. Winds off the sea blow harsh rain which wears down paint, woodwork of homes. Not even a chimney was visible in this saucer shaped valley where the ancient cob homes were first built, many of which remain.Īnother reason the village is in a valley ( called a combe), is for weather protection. When the first people came here, many hundreds of years ago, they wished to be concealed from pirate ships. Here, I find the same, only differently constructed.įirst of all, the village itself is quite near the sea, but hidden from it. I grew up in Pennsylvania in a large stone home with two-foot-thick walls. In this small village of Ringmore where we are visiting family, I’ve become interested in old methods of building houses.
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