Repurposing Wherwell Abbey, an old natural building method

High Street, Wherwell, England

This is a repurposed village. Many of the oak frame wattle & daub cottages in Wherwell, England were built in the early 16th century after Henry VIII disbanded Wherwell Abbey. The cottage, 28 Church Street (below), is around 500 years old with oak beams most likely reclaimed from the Abbey. Watch the video for signs of reclaimed materials taken from the abbey scattered throughout the village.

Wherwell Village, part 2

Church Street, Wherwell, England

28, Church Street, Wherwell

More of the village's past can be found on the Wherwell Village website where you can buy a history of the village on DVD.

A little further down Church Street from the home above is another cottage from about the same period. At the junction of High Street you find yet another magnificent terrace of thatched cottages (top right).

Click any of the [Google Map] buttons and take a street view tour of this picturesque ancient village.

These cottages will very likely survive at least another 500+ years, a testament to the enduring quality of natural materials. When these homes were built they used only natural materials and repurposed materials from older buildings.

The curious mushroom like object in front of the cottage above are called Staddle Stones. They are used decoratively here but were originally pillars on which a grain store would stand protecting the grain from vermin and flood. The word 'staddle' is from Old English stathol, a foundation, support or trunk of a tree.

Swiss Staddle Stones