Traditional Building Materials

Book excerpt: Although steel and glass dominate modern cities, Britain boasts innumerable beautiful examples of more traditional construction methods. Many date from the period before easy nationwide transportation, when materials were usually grown or extracted locally, and as a result Britain has a varied legacy of vernacular buildings that reflects its multitude of different landscapes. They display a rich and colorful palette of materials, from the honey-colored stone of the Cotswolds to the red earth of Devon and grey granite of Aberdeen. In this book, buildings historian Matthew Slocombe looks at the range of materials used for walls and roof coverings, explores the processes involved in their extraction, production and manufacture, and outlines the diverse range of skills required for their use in construction.