Wychert
Encyclopedia
Wychert or witchert is white clay mixed with straw to make walls and buildings, usually then thatched or topped with red clay tiles. This historic method of building construction is localised to Haddenham
and the surrounding local area in Buckinghamshire
. One of the largest known Wychert structures is Haddenham Methodist Church.
The method of building a wychert building is similar to that of a Cob
building. To maintain the rigid nature of wychert it must not become too dry for risk of crumbling, nor too wet for risk of turning to a slime. Keeping wychert well ventilated and not subject to excess condensation is therefore highly recommended. Any render applied to a wychert wall must therefore be of a breathable material — rendering wychert walls with a lime based render is therefore common practice.
A wychert house is currently being constructed at Chiltern Open Air Museum
in Chalfont St Giles
, Buckinghamshire
.
Haddenham, Buckinghamshire
Haddenham is a large village and is also a civil parish within Aylesbury Vale district in Buckinghamshire, England. Its estimated population in 2011 is 8,385 It is about south-west of Aylesbury and north-east of Thame.-History:...
and the surrounding local area in Buckinghamshire
Buckinghamshire
Buckinghamshire is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan home county in South East England. The county town is Aylesbury, the largest town in the ceremonial county is Milton Keynes and largest town in the non-metropolitan county is High Wycombe....
. One of the largest known Wychert structures is Haddenham Methodist Church.
The method of building a wychert building is similar to that of a Cob
Cob (building)
Cob or cobb or clom is a building material consisting of clay, sand, straw, water, and earth, similar to adobe. Cob is fireproof, resistant to seismic activity, and inexpensive...
building. To maintain the rigid nature of wychert it must not become too dry for risk of crumbling, nor too wet for risk of turning to a slime. Keeping wychert well ventilated and not subject to excess condensation is therefore highly recommended. Any render applied to a wychert wall must therefore be of a breathable material — rendering wychert walls with a lime based render is therefore common practice.
A wychert house is currently being constructed at Chiltern Open Air Museum
Chiltern Open Air Museum
Chiltern Open Air Museum is a museum of vernacular buildings and a tourist attraction located near Chalfont St Peter and Chalfont St. Giles in the Chiltern Hills, Buckinghamshire, England....
in Chalfont St Giles
Chalfont St Giles
Chalfont St Giles is a village and civil parish within Chiltern district in south east Buckinghamshire, England, on the edge of the Chilterns, 25 miles from London, and near Seer Green, Jordans, Chalfont St Peter, Little Chalfont and Amersham....
, Buckinghamshire
Buckinghamshire
Buckinghamshire is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan home county in South East England. The county town is Aylesbury, the largest town in the ceremonial county is Milton Keynes and largest town in the non-metropolitan county is High Wycombe....
.
External links
- Haddenham Museum with opening hours
- The Witchert Buildings of Buckinghamshire, England:Learning Sustainable Construction from our Ancestors(Google cached version accessed 10 March 2006)