Gambrel-roofed cottage at Tillingham

Image: © Stefan Czapski Taken: 13 May 1994

Tillingham is a rather remote village, near the marshy Essex coast between the estuaries of the Blackwater and Crouch. Weather-boarded buildings are something of a local speciality. The use of weather-boarding in Britain, along with timber framing, is said to have flourished as a result of the imposition of a tax on bricks, in 1784. The cottage just left of centre in this shot I find particularly attractive. It has a so-called gambrel-roof, sloping down quite steeply from the ridge, but then more steeply from just above the level of the dormer windows. The upper floor is 'jettied' out at the gable-end - it overhangs slightly, a pretty sure sign that the building is timber-framed. For further examples of old gambrel-roofed houses see: Image and Image My original photo was in colour, on a roll of film I failed to 'process promptly'. It seemed best to settle for monochrome.

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