English Cottages - Imagine Living In A Real Life Storybook

What comes to mind when the words English Cottage are mentioned, thatched roofs, stone exteriors, fences and informal gardens. I think of these things too along with cozy, peaceful, enchantment and whimsical, which when rolled all together give me a picture of a house that could have come directly from the pages of a storybook.

 

With their picturesque storybook style, English Cottages are an offshoot of the large Tudor-style country residences that appeared in the late 19th century that echoed medieval English styles. English Cottage designs are smaller and more streamlined consisting of either a one or one and a half stories,  with steep roof lines and intersecting gables. 

The whimsy comes into the home with the floor plan, small irregularly shaped rooms on the main floor, with sloping walls and dormers upstairs. This provides all sorts of nooks and crannies, perfect for hiding away - Oh, what child (or grown up for that matter) would not love that. 

A massive chimney dominates the front or one side of the house, providing a welcoming hearth that draws family and friends together. Casement windows with small panes charmingly frame outdoor scenes and gardens. Entries were often front-facing gables with a cat-slide roof (a steep roof that ends near the ground) that was steep and straight on one side and artistically curved on the other. Doorways were often arched or half-round with ornate hardware and exterior lighting.

Thatched roofs are commonly thought of with English cottages. So what is thatch - it's the use of straw or grasses as a building material. Thatched cottages and farm buildings were the norm in rural Britain for a millennium or more. 

The appeal of thatch was due to the building practices of Britains past. Because of the irregular materials used in the construction of buildings the walls could not withstand a lot of weight. Thatch was by far the lightest weight material available.

The process for thatching a roof is as follows: The thatch is first tied into bundles, then laid as an under layer on the beams of the roof, then pegged into place. Another layer is then laid over the first with a final reinforcing layer added along the edge of the roof. Along the edge is where the thatcher would typically leave his personal signature, a decorative feature that marked the job as his alone.

Of course to be complete, an English cottage needs it's cottage garden. A cottage garden consists of an informal design, traditional materials, dense plantings, and a mixture of ornamental and edible plants. Flowers used in a Cottage Garden can include - Daffodils, Hollyhocks, Phlox, Foxglove and Roses. Herbs such as Sage, Thyme and Lavender were also used.

The last thing to do with your beautiful storybook home is to give it a name. Names can be everything from it's location and local history to literature and legends. Other theme names can come from animals and birds, trees, plants and flowers. Examples: Rose Cottage - The Willows - Meadow View - Ivy Cottage

References:

• Pictures of England  - Exploring Picturesque & Historic parts of England.. 

• Antique Home Style - English Cottage Style 

• Britain Express - Thatching: The traditional British craft 

• About.com Landscaping - Cottage Garden Plants