The Granary, Pevensey

A kitchen fire in the neighbouring farmhouse in 2019 destroyed roughly 40% of the Granary's west wall and the entire roof. The building had stood for over three hundred years; the owners were determined it would stand for another three hundred.

Reconstructing the wall in the original cob — a raw-earth mixture of subsoil, straw, and water — was the obvious choice for authenticity. We mixed the cob on site using subsoil excavated from the owner's land and wheat straw from a neighbouring farm. The wall was built up in 600mm 'lifts' over six weeks, each lift allowed to cure before the next was added.

The roof was a different conversation. The original covering was long-straw thatch, which was lost entirely in the fire. After careful discussion with the conservation officer, we agreed that oak shingles were the right replacement — historically plausible (oak shingles predate thatch on many Sussex farm buildings), demonstrably more fire resistant, and sympathetic in weathered appearance. The shingles are quarter-sawn seasoned oak, hand-split, and fixed with copper nails in the traditional pattern.