Hi,

I spent last week in Barbados inspecting the last sugar cane crushing windmill in the world which unfortunately was damaged by a lightning strike several months ago.

Whilst in this very hot tropical paradise I noted with some interest the original form of houses in which slaves and then more lately sugar plantation workers lived. These are simple two room timber houses made with a plan area of about 12ft x 10ft cut to suit the length of available imported timber in order to help minimise cut wastage. These little houses are called chattel houses because they are moveable. The occupants owned the building but not the land upon which it stood so they were free to dismantle and move their house away to a new location say as per upon the land of a new employer.



These houses stand on simple coral stone blocks located at the corners and mid span of the sill with the gap between being infilled with course coral rubble stone. The gaps in this stonework are quite deliberate to allow for ventillation of the floor underside.



As general wealth levels rose then so did the aspirations of the occupants and these little houses were then expanded to include pentice roofed extension to the rear and even an outside balcony where the oppressive heat inside the houses could be escaped.



But today the occupants of these little houses now have security of tenure over the land upon which they stand and so a new wave of building in block and metal roof is in full swing. The value of these chattel plots has risen dramatically as tourists seek to buy and build holiday homes in Barbados. Those fortunate enough to own a beach front chattel can and do ask millions for their modest homes whereupon the chattel is demolished and lost from the building stock. Further inland the chattels are being demolished to make way for new middle class affluent houses that can bare little relationship with their humble neighbours.



It's just possible that this wholesale clearance and replacement of this type of vernacular building stock might go some way to explaining how and why virtually every pre 1200's house in England has disappeared.

We are quite familiar with the phrase "goods and chattels" but rarely do we gain an insight into what exactly is meant by a chattel and according to the dictionary this is a simple moveable possesion. I also learned a new word which is "jalousies" which is used to describe the louvered shutters that were typically fitted to the chattels and I believe that this word might also still be in use today in the southern USA.

The people of Barbados need to take care that they do not loose their built heritage and some thought needs to be given to help preserve these old buildings but at the same time recognising and affording the occupants the opportunity to build and live in more comfortable surroundings.

Quite a challenge. Time for a siesta !

Regards

Ken Hume