Tudor houses

 Tudor houses have a very unmistakable look about them; they were made of timber, wattle, and daub. First, timber frames were erected; some of the frames were simple, but the houses of more wealthy people had intricate frames crafted for their homes. Next, the wattle, which were sticks weaved to form the basis for the walls, were fixed into place between the posts. The next step was the daub, which was a mixture of clay, sand, and dung that was smeared into and over the wattle to form a solid wall and left to dry. Later, the daub was painted with limewash to make it white, while the timber frames were coated with tar to prevent rotting, and this gave the Tudor house its distinct look. Tudor roofs were usually highly pitched, and in the early days thatching was used, but thatching gave way to clay or slate tiles in later years. Thatching was a fire hazard and had to be constantly replaced. Many Tudor houses had what was called a ‘jetty’ on levels above the ground, almost like an enclosed balcony. This was to give the upper floors more room. It was during Tudor times that glass was first used in homes. Glass was expensive and difficult to make in big sheets, so windows were made of small panes held together with lead in a criss-cross pattern; this pattern was called ‘lattice.

In poorer homes, discarded cloth or paper was used to replace the expensive glass. Windows were casement windows with hinges that opened outward to allow the light and air in. Tudor-style homes continued to be popular decades after the Tudor era ended, and there are still some magnificent examples of these homes today.

Sources:
The Buildings of Britain, A Guide and Gazetteer, Tudor and Jacobean, Malcolm Airs

Domestic Architecture of England during the Tudor Period, Thomas Garner and Arthur James Stratton