What was it like to live in a cruck house?

Peasants lived in cruck houses. These had a wooden frame onto which was plastered wattle and daub. This was a mixture of mud, straw and manure. The straw added insulation to the wall while the manure was considered good for binding the whole mixture together and giving it strength.

What were cruck houses made of?

timbers
Cruck buildings, referred to in Medieval documents by the Latin word furcae (fork) are built around pairs of timbers (cruck blades) that extend from the ground all the way to the apex of the roof in a single sweep, forming an arch-like truss.

What’s a cruck house?

A medieval house in which the roof is carried on pairs of naturally curved timbers.

When were cruck houses built?

More than 75 per cent were built in the 15th and 16th centuries, with 12 known from the 13th century and 53 from the 14th. These early examples survive only as a single blade or as trusses reused in later reconstructions, and it is not until the 14th century that we have intact cruck houses.

How were peasants treated?

Daily life for peasants consisted of working the land. Life was harsh, with a limited diet and little comfort. Women were subordinate to men, in both the peasant and noble classes, and were expected to ensure the smooth running of the household.

What are cruck beams?

Cruck is the term applied to a pair of curving timber members that meet at their tops to produce a rough arch. The two timbers (sometimes called ‘blades’) were traditionally formed by sawing a tree trunk with a natural curve in half.

What are old houses made out of?

Historic masonry houses were constructed in two ways: Masonry. A masonry house is built with solid brick, stone or concrete walls on top of a masonry foundation. A masonry house has wood-framed flooring and a wood roof.

How do you make a cruck house?

Crucks are made quite simply by selecting an oak (or occasionally an elm) with a stout lower branch, felling the tree and squaring off the trunk, then sawing it in two vertically. The result should be a symmetrical pair of curving or elbowed ‘blades’.

Where did peasants sleep?

Medieval Peasant Life ​If you were poor in medieval times, you would have slept on a hay-stuffed bag on the floor or on a simple platform. There’s a good chance your family would be sharing the bed with you, or at least be nearby; privacy was not a medieval concept.

Are old houses stronger?

Old homes have better-quality construction Even the walls are likely different. In an older home they’re probably built with plaster and lathe, making them structurally stronger than the drywall construction of modern homes. These older materials also provide a better sound barrier and insulation.

Why do old houses have small doors?

The Real Purpose of Little Doors In some old houses, the little doors are designated storage space for a card table! These small spaces were meant to keep card tables—which almost everyone had in the 1950s—tucked away neat and tidy until you had company over.

Who built the first house?

First Houses

What is a cruck barn?

The Cruck Barn – Its History This was originally a barn built in 1471 and converted into an indoor riding school in the 19th century and acquired the name The Ride. It is a timber framed building with brick infill on a stone plinth with a slate roof. Internally there are seven cruck trusses.