Exploring Kent's Past

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Monument details

Summary

Shepherd's Hut Bowdell lane, Brenzett, post 1830

Monument Types

• SHEPHERDS HUT (Post Medieval - 1830 AD to 1830 AD (post))

Full description

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Shepherd's Hut Bowdell lane, Brenzett, post 1830. Reeves and Eve number 10, fig 12.6 (1)(2)(3)

The most common type of roof construction in the surviving huts was a simple form of coupled rafter roof. The key components of such a standard roof were common rafters, set closely at centres of around 30 cm were notched to the outer edge of wall plates laid on the brick wall heads of the hut's long side. The paired rafters were commonly joined to a ridge board at their apex. Common variations on this model were the use of a tie beam set into the gable wall to strengthen the wall plates in number 10 (1)

Most were built with a crude arch over the hearth supported with a wrought iron fireband, although occasional examples of timber and stone lintels are found and at two sites (10 and 116) (1)

Iron pegs above the fireplace and in the back of the hearth survive as evidence of providing a means to hang up storage. (1)

<1> Reeves, A & Eve, D, 1998, Sheep-keeping and lookers’ huts on Romney Marsh (Article in monograph). SKE16107.

<2> Romney Marsh Research Trust, 2010, Romney Marsh Research Trust Gazetteer 2010 (Unpublished document). SKE16034.

<3> Carpenter, 1997, Sheephouses on Romney Marsh (Monograph). SKE16118.

Sources and further reading