The Witchert Buildings of Buckinghamshire, England
Using earth as a construction material fulfills many of the requirements for “green building”. It is a non-toxic material, and the thermal mass of the thick walls helps reduce the amount of energy used to heat and cool buildings. One of the main “green” properties of earth as a building material is that it is readily available and in some areas it is available on the same property as proposed buildings, or nearby. This is the case with a particular form of earth construction called Wichert.
The word wichert, whitchert or wychert is used in Buckinghamshire, England to describe a particular type of sub-soil, from which boundary walls, houses, churches and barns have been constructed. Witchert construction is one of several earth building techniques that have been used in England in the past, such as Cob and Clay Lump. The exact number of witchert buildings in Buckinghamshire is unknown, but a search of English Heritage’s database found over 200 listed witchert structures in Buckinghamshire. Listing by English Heritage gives statutory protection that limits the amount of alteration that can be carried out on the structure. The majority of these protected structures range from the 17th, 18th & 19th Centuries, and their continued existence can be contributed to the understanding of the original builders on the strengths and weaknesses of earth as a building material.
This presentation will look at the construction techniques used to construct a witchert wall using illustrations from listed buildings and from a reconstruction exercise. The presentation will focus on the construction details that have contributed to the continued existence of these structures. The longevity of these buildings can also be attributed to the way past owners have maintained their buildings, however, in recent years some unsympathetic repairs have been carried out that have led to the deterioration and in some cases the collapse of the walls. This presentation will also provide information on how one local government authority; Aylesbury Vale District Council is trying to educate owners of witchert structures on how they should look after their witchert buildings.