Old Houses

In this district the old people say that long ago the houses were mostly small and some of them were made of daub and stones. Others of stones and mortar. The mortar was made of lime and sand mixed and wet with water. The mud houses were constructed of mud and cows' manure.The roofs of these houses were usually thatched with straw or rushes. Slates were not used except on gentlemen's houses and even on those they were not always used.Most of the old houses had a bed in the kitchen. These beds were called pouches and were built in the back of the kitchen. The fireplace was usually in the gable end of the house. The chimneys were built of stones and mortar and were white washed at the top. Some houses had two chimneys, one at each end of the roof. Others had but one chimney in the centre of the roof and others had not any chimney the smoke escaping by the door. Most of the old houses had small windows sometimes with