Heyford Houses
The houses in this village, situated on the edge of the Cotswold Hills are nearly all built of stone. There is a well matched blend of Cotswold limestone and some Hornton stone which reflects a golden hue and is quarried near Banbury. Many of the houses and cottages are thatched. It is not often that a thatcher cannot be found at work in the village.I am exhibiting just a very small selection, almost at random, of my image bank which includes the majority of the diverse village stock. Interestingly and perhaps unusually no two stone houses are alike.

Rethatching of Paines Cottage

Every twenty years or so even the best quality thatch needs replacing in our varied (and sometimes hostile) climate. Rethatching a listed cottage in a conservation area gives the owner little room to manouevre other than the certainty of having to pay! Here the thatch designated is combed wheat. The ridge has yet to be woven in and the whole has still to be trimmed. In fact there is still one small patch yet to be finished.
Master Thatcher: Andrew Bowman

Location: Lower Heyford

Photographer: Robin Barker