Repurposing Wherwell Abbey, an old natural building method

 
   
 
 
 

A natural builder will often reclaim good quality materials from homes at the end of their useful life. It's what the builders of these 16th century homes did when they took oak beams from Wherwell Abbey after it was disbanded by Henry VIII in 1530. If you've never taken a stroll around an English village the article has Google Street View buttons for each of the thatched cottages. There are many more in the village.