A Piece of History
We knew we were buying a tiny piece of history, probably built in the early 1800's, but if the information we've found is to be believed then we have actually bought something quite rare - a traditional 'clom' cottage. Here is the information taken from the website of the architect that drew up the plans for the extension. They renamed the house as below, but we prefer the original name and that is what we will stick with.
Ty Coed (pronounced Tee Coyd) - "house in the woods" or "house of trees." Ty Coed is a small, disused ‘clom’ thatched cottage set within a small woodland in rural Pembrokeshire. It was last used by a veteran of the Boar War (1899 - 1902) and it was gifted to him from the local landlord. It consists of only two rooms, a living/bedroom area and a kitchen/dining area. The toilet was a small compost latrine within the garden.
‘Clom’ cottages were once widespread throughout Pembrokeshire but today there are very few remaining traditional thatched ‘clom’ cottages left and this will be traditionally restored with a new thatch roof, lime painted repaired walls and new traditional style doors and sash windows. As the cottage is so small a new, more contemporary timber extension, linked via a glazed walkway, will be added to accommodate two bedrooms and bathrooms. The design has been chosen to contrast the existing traditional style of the cottage and blend in to the forest setting. The interior of the old building will be retained wherever possible and two new chimneys will be built in their original locations. This traditional interior with lime painted ‘clom’ walls and earth floor will contrast the new extension which will have light oak timber walls, new polished concrete floors and large aluminium windows.
The existing trees surrounding the buildings will be retained wherever possible to retain the secret nature of the setting and the boundary walls repaired to enclose a small front garden. The old workshop to the West of the cottage will be extended and windows blocked up as it will become a bat roost to enhance the bat population.
A clom cottage is a traditional Welsh home built from "clom," which is a mixture of clay, mud, straw, and sometimes horse hair or lamb's wool. The walls are often four to five feet thick and low (around five feet high), providing great insulation that keeps the house warm in winter and cool in summer. Built on a low stone foundation, the mud and clay mixture was applied in thick layers. Horse hair was often mixed in, giving the exterior a textured, "unshaven" look. Roofs were traditionally made of wheat straw, gorse, and turf, overhanging the thick walls to help rain run off safely. Many featured a traditional half-loft or crogloft, which served as a sleeping platform.
There are a few remaining examples, including one at St Fagan's museum in Cardiff, which was carefully dismantled from its original location, moved there and restored as an exhibit. There are some great images which I have borrowed from their website showing the building of it and the finished look, which we will be keen to try and replicate.
There are however some classic clom cottage features missing - the wooden supports are not evident, and the clom sections of the walls have a lot of stone built into them, rather than just being mud and straw. But the roof construction looks very similar from what we can see of it, where it hasn't collapsed. So, is it a clom cottage or just a tale spun by an enthusiastic architect, or the previous owner looking to sell it for a bit more than it’s worth? We need to do a lot more research on how we can sympathetically restore this beautiful little cottage to its former glory. It may mean we have to sacrifice some modern luxuries but we both like the idea of simple living, off the land and off grid if possible. I can't wait to see how this progresses...
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