Do you think Cotswold stone buildings are superior to half-timbered buildings?

Question

I mean the type of building that you find in the cotswolds,and I mean genuine Tudor style buildings (not mock Tudor which is mere cosmetic hlf-timbers)I don't mean to pry I have been in many Tudor buildings and Pubs too.I used to live in abuilding built in 1666.If you feel it is not my buisness please don't answer.

Answer 1

Local materials are usually best, because they fit in with the landscape and with the traditional buildings that were there before long-distance goods traffic became possible. A half-timbered building would look quite wrong in the Cotswolds, so would a Cotswold stone building in Herefordshire or Shropshire (where half-timbering is common) and both would look ridiculous in south-west Scotland where sandstone is the traditional building material.

But one has to be realistic. Cob and thatch were the traditional materials in most of Devon, but it would be senseless to use those highly perishable materials nowadays except for a special project. If you're building a new house in an area where there's good local stone, use it; but otherwise use brick (which is traditional in many areas such as London and the West Midlands) and don't try to dress the house up as what it ain't!

Answer 2

Local materials are always the best. In my home town the local stone is sandstone. I know the problems with the softness of that stone but it's warmth gives buildings a lovely mellow feeling. Contrast this with the soulless concrete and you will see what I mean