3.3 Traditional
materials
Prior to the advent of readily available transport,
materials were generally sourced locally. Good quality warm-grey
limestone quarried in the area formed the basis for most construction.
Important buildings incorporated the best dressed stone while
cottages and agricultural buildings were constructed from
the random leftovers. Frequently, buildings were rendered
or lime-washed depending on the quality of the stone and their
exposure to the weather. Local timber was used for roof, floor,
window, door and lintel construction. Fascias and bargeboards
were kept to a minimum. Ground floors and well used external
areas were paved with limestone flags.
As mechanised transportation increased, new
building materials and techniques were adopted with brick
largely replacing stone in the 20th century as the predominant
material for new building for reasons of cost, fashion, ease
of construction and ready availability.
Looking across the centuries, each development
has incorporated the palette of materials, building techniques
and styles popular during the period, with properties adapted
by successive owners to give the variety we see today. |