Hall at Hellens, © Richard Surman

As today, many people did not necessarily build new houses but remodelled the ones they were already living in. The open hall which was so popular with the well-to-do in the medieval period, had started to lose its appeal. Many homeowners inserted a second storey connected by a staircase. Open hearths were replaced with fireplaces and chimneys and extensions were added on as families wanted to have separate living and sleeping spaces and perhaps even separate servant quarters.

Stone roofs often took the place of thatched ones to reduce the danger of fires spreading. Many houses in Herefordshire therefore contain elements from different building periods which makes it very difficult to establish a firm date for the origin of a building.

Timber framed gate house, Brockhampton Manor © John Greene 2003	Almshouses, Church St. Ross-on-Wye

Nevertheless, with the growth of population in the Tudor period many new houses were built, some impressive country houses, others very modest homes. Different building materials and techniques were used depending on local availability and the wealth and aspirations of the homeowner. Brick had become a popular building material and was often used for higher status houses. Many people, however, still built with stone or wood and used a wattle and daub construction. In Herefordshire we can still see many black and white timber-framed houses from this period.

Mawfield Farm	Hugerstone House

Black & White Village Trail

A good introduction to some of the most beautiful black & white timber framed houses in Herefordshire is to take the Black & White Village Trail. This circular trail, leading through some of the prettiest towns and villages of the county, is about 40 miles and starts out at Leominster, in the north of the county. There are also walking and cycle routes. For further information contact the Leominster Tourist Information Centre on 01568 616460.