Buildings in the Landscape of the
South Downs National Park
South Downs National Park Authority
Themes:• Chronology
• Building materials
• Building types
Chronology
• Earliest Surviving Buildings: Anglo-Saxon
Churches
• Norman/Medieval : Castles and Monastic Sites
• Timber-Framed buildings: from 14th century
• Majority of surviving buildings date from 17th
century onwards
Ear
Building Materials
Important distinction:
• Vernacular Architecture – uses local materials
and rooted in the landscape/geology
• Polite Architecture – may use imported and
exotic materials
Ear
South Downs Geology
Walling
Materials
A rich patchwork…
Lime
Timber
Flint
The Greensands,
(including malmstone)
• Ironstone
• Clays for brick and tile
•
•
•
•
Timber
Flint
Greensand
Greensand - coursing
Galleting
Ironstone
Brickwork
Brickwork
Roofing
Materials
Further diversity…
•
•
•
•
•
Thatch
Horsham Stone Slates
Plain clay tile
Shingles
Welsh slate
Thatch
• especially in Hampshire…
and in some strange places!
Horsham Stone
Clay tiles
Shingles
Welsh Slate
Cladding
Materials
•
•
•
•
•
Clay tiles
Mathematical tiles
Shingles
Welsh slate
Weatherboards
Tiles – plain & decorative
Mathematical Tiles
• a cunning deceit
Welsh slate
Weatherboards
• only in the east…
Building Types
• Churches
• Wealden Houses
• Barns and Farm Buildings
• Industrial Buildings
• Great Houses – “Polite Architecture”
Ear
Churches
Ear
Wealden Houses
• Popular in SE England,
particularly Kent & East
Sussex in 15C
• Two-storey buildings
• Hall in central section
• End bays, with solars on
upper floors, project
forward of the central hall
• Characteristic central
recess
Ear
Barns & Farm Buildings
Ear
Industrial
• Iron smelting/working
• Water power – river and
tide!
• Wind power
Ear
Great Houses – “Polite”
Ear
Decay