Thatched Cottages

 

Like the sight of the cottage above? Doesn't it looked like those we saw in the cartoons? Its called Thatched Cottages. I came across many while on my way to Lacock...
Thatched cottages and farm buildings were the norm in rural Britain for a millennium or more. Why the attraction to thatch? First of all, the building practices of bygone Britain ran to lightweight, irregular materials, such as wattle and daub walls, and cruck beams. These walls were simply not made to take much weight, and thatch was by far the lightest weight material available. The most commonly used in South England is wheat straw.
First the thatch is tied in bundles, then laid in an underlayer on the roof beams and pegged in place with rods made of hazel or withy.
Then an upper layer is laid over the first, and a final reinforcing layer added along the ridgeline. It is at the ridgeline that the individual thatcher leaves his personal "signature", a decorative feature of some kind that marks the job as his alone.
Sadly, due to better transportation, thatching is in a decline. Its not an easy job! But thatched cottages can fetch a price in the market.

Also came across white horses on the hills. What are they? As I've mention in the Stonehenge post underneath the land is chalk...rip off the turf and you can see white chalk. I'm not sure where is the location of the one I saw though but Wiltshire is without doubt the county of counties when it comes to white horses, with no less than nine laying within its boundaries, although only seven of these are now visible. The vast expanse of chalk downs, with their smooth, steep sides provide a number of ideal sites to exercise the art of turf cutting.
Don't really know whats the real story about how they emerge but one story I heard is...One day, a farmer fell for a horse design from an artist so he decided to cut it out on the hill. He paid £25 for someone to do it but eventually the person ran away with the money...£25 is alot in those days...then he got his mates to cut it for him which took quite a long time though...and ta-daa....Believe??

If you happen to come to this country, you'll realise there are many River Avon and they can mean different rivers. It is said that long time ago, when the Romans sat foot in England, being very methodological, they like to record down what they have seen. It just so happen that when they see river, they'll ask the villagers whats the name of it..and they'll reply 'Afon'. Thus, this is being recorded. Over the yrs, afon afon turn into Avon. But Afon actually means River in welsh..so river avon actually mean river river...haha.

Then I notice 'Enford' sign along the road and was told it meant duck crossing river.