cruck

From the Regia Anglorum website: The excavations of the seventh century settlements at Cowdery's Down and Charlton, both in Hampshire, uncovered evidence of 'cruck' building, a technique previously not thought to have been used until after the Norman Conquest.

Thatched barns and stave churches: the possibilities of Anglo-Saxon timber architecture

The first wooden houses were indeed A-frames, or cruck built, just like this.

Wildwood

Higher up on the hillside, with a tall grove and a holly bush at its back, Nash has constructed a shelter like a coracle, a hazel bender sprung on a foundation cruck frame of a bow of oak made from a single limb sawn lengthwise in four, with a matt-black canvas skin stretched over the woven wood, a small stove and an ingenious beak-like chimney, like the spout of a jug.

Wildwood

I was intrigued to discover that enterprising later medieval peasants would make a quick profit on the side by knocking up a cruck frame using illegal wood from the local lord's forest, and then smartly on-selling before being nabbed, developing the original prefab house!

Thatched barns and stave churches: the possibilities of Anglo-Saxon timber architecture

About the pre fab cruck built cottages - some years ago alright, 1988 I was working on a small archaeological dig at Bangor on Dee, in a timber framed building just by the racecourse there.

Thatched barns and stave churches: the possibilities of Anglo-Saxon timber architecture

In light of these excavations, many other sites were reassessed, with the result that cruck building was identified at these too, showing that cruck building was not only known, but widespread by the seventh century.

Thatched barns and stave churches: the possibilities of Anglo-Saxon timber architecture

I had a quick hunt around earlier to see if I could find the article with the bit about the kitset cruck-fames I couldn't, but did find this piece about equally enterprising Swiss peasants in a "Timesonline" article about pre-fab housing.

Thatched barns and stave churches: the possibilities of Anglo-Saxon timber architecture

There has recently been a revival in another timber building technique dating from Saxon times; cruck-framing

Thatched barns and stave churches: the possibilities of Anglo-Saxon timber architecture

Sorry, Carla, I don't remember now where I saw that bit about the sneakily profiteering peasants with their cruck frames, so can't give you the source or proof.

Thatched barns and stave churches: the possibilities of Anglo-Saxon timber architecture

Like many others I became interested after seeing permaculturalist Ben Laws' cruck-framed home being built as part of Channel 4's "Grand Designs" programme.

Thatched barns and stave churches: the possibilities of Anglo-Saxon timber architecture