ABSTRACT
In many parts of the world earth construction represents part of a continu-
ous centuries-old tradition. In most of Western Europe, however, as noted in
Chapter 1, this is clearly not the case. Up until the mid-nineteenth century
earth buildings were commonplace in many parts of Britain. In some areas
earth buildings were regarded as being of low status, suitable only for the
poor, who lacked the means to build more durable houses of brick or stone
masonry. However, in other areas, most notably south and south-west
England, earth was used, from the late medieval period onwards, to construct
buildings for and by people from a wide social spectrum, from the very
poorest landless labourers up to the most prosperous yeoman farmers and
minor gentry. It is probably for this reason that many more earth buildings
have survived in this area than in most other regions of Britain. Nevertheless,
even now in south-west England the public perception of earth buildings is
generally unfavourable, and most people would be very surprised to learn that
thousands of such buildings still exist in Britain.
