'The Habitations of Wretchedness'? Clom Buildings in Wales

Abstract

The use of earth as a building material in rural Wales in the nineteenth century was seen by contemporary observers as symptomatic of poverty. But there is also documentary evidence suggesting a more subtle picture, with clom taking its place in a clear hierarchy of materials, and used as a means of managing resources. Surviving clom buildings reveal a consistent craft in construction, clearly associated with other building crafts and other regional building traditions.