Wattle and daub

Wattle and daub is an ancient construction technique for building walls and plastering between beams in period properties.

A woven latticework of wooden stakes called wattles is daubed with a mixture of cow dung and straw to create a remarkably strong but flexible structure. This makes it ideal for timber frame buildings, where the changing seasons and usage of a building can cause structural movements.

In half-timbered buildings, the wattle and daub is contained between the wooden beams and painted with white wash, giving the building a characteristic black and white period look much sought after by country houses and pubs.