Tudor Architecture

The Tower of London Hampton Court Palace Warwick Castle and Town Hatfield Castle

The Tudor style of architecture was alot different from other styles, such as Victorian and Gothic styles. The most jumped to conclusion of Tudor architecture is black and white plaster constructions. As shown above is a preserved pub from a town called Shrewsbury of which the townspeople of kept the original construction of these old Tudor buildings. Most of these old preserved housing and castles date back to the 16th century around times of monarchs like Henry VIII and Elizabeth I. Castles and Palaces that monarchs and wealthy land owners built would most likely to be made of stone with many creatively decorated rooms.

The frames of these houses would be of massive upright timber often reinforced with diagonally placed timber. The framework would be filled with wattle and daub construction to keep the residents warm. The certain construction of these buildings was extremely durable, many of these building lasted through ground movements, natural disasters, and conflicts between different people. To make more room for space on the second and third floors they would allow them to hang over the stories below, this became one of the distinguishable features of Tudor Architecture. Some added luxuries to the outside of these decorated houses were carved beams and stacked chimneys. Daub, the clay like substance that was placed inbetween the sturdy timber foundation, was often made of clay, mud or plaster(usually made with lime), mixed with straw. The roof would be covered with thatch, tiles, or slate to ensure stopping of leakage.

On the inside rooms were decorated with patterns made in the daub and panelled walls. Some more wealthier homes would have plaster instead of plain, dull, bare timber ceilings. The rooms would be decorated with fine linens, silks, fregrances, and glass windows. Glass windows was a very big luxury to have because of that fact that they did not have mass production of the glass.

At the end of the 16th century brick and stone became popular for making of middle sized homes and not just castles and cathedrals. Especially where wood was scarce and local stone was plentiful. Such limestone cottages of the Cotswold's are a familiar example of such architecture.