The farmhouse is an essential and attractive part of the English landscape and thousands of examples still grace the countryside. In this superbly illustrated book the author examines the changing role of these traditional buildings. He shows the farmhouse at the centre of economic, social and farming life of the community, and the many buildings which have lost their lands and have since been modified for other uses. This lead him to describe in words and detailed drawings the diversity of house-types including the medieval open-hall and the so-called 'double-piled' house, the first house-type designed not for the needs of the farm but for the comfort of the family. The significance of geological variations for the pattern of agriculture and the consequences for the type of farmhouse is also explained. In addition the book discusses the various materials employed and the resulting distinctive regional variations.
Profusely illustrated with the author's fine pen and ink drawings, this volume is an authoritative guide to one of the most characteristic and well-loved aspects of the English countryside.
Contents:
List of Illustrations
Acknowledgements
Glossary
English Farmhouses - an Introduction
Part One: Types and Plans
The First-floor Hall Farmhouse
The Open-hall Farmhouse
The Cross-passage Farmhouse
The Dual-purpose Farmhouse
The Lobby-entry Farmhouse
The Direct-entry Farmhouse
The Cross-wing Farmhouse
The Double-pile Farmhouse
Part Two: Materials, Construction and Characteristics
Introduction
Timber
- Timber Wall Framing
- Infilling
- Cladding
- Cruck and other Rook Types
- Aisled and Quasi-Aisled Construction
- Upper Floor Construction
Unbaked Earth
Stone
- Building Stones
- Igneous Rocks
- Metamorphic Rocks
- Sedimentary Rocks
Flint, Chert and Cobbles
- Construction
Brick
Roof Coverings
- Thatch
- Stone-Slates and Flags
- Slates
- Plain Tiles
- Pantiles
Architectural Details and Features
- Smoke Bays, Firehoods, Chimneys and Fireplaces
- Doorways and Doors
- Windows
- Porches
- Floors
- Ceilings
- Staircases
- Internal Partitions
- Panelling
- Interior Wall Decorations
Bibliography
Index of Farmhouses
General Index
Review:The narration is absorbing, the plans and diagrams are clear-cut. Above all, the drawings of buildings are supremely well-done. The author is an artist of outstanding graphic ability. -- House & Garden
Excellently written and nicely produced and w
