Feature Assessment: Built Environment / Building Materials
# Building materials
Overall vulnerability |
# Features assessed:
- Traditional roofing materials, such as stone slates and Staffordshire Blue clay tiles
- Timber-frame buildings, often cruck-framed
- Gritstone, other sandstones, and limestone, in buildings and boundary walls
# Special qualities:
- Characteristic settlements with strong communities and traditions
# Feature description:
Building materials are distinctive and specific to the different areas of the PDNP. Traditionally gritstone, other sandstones, and limestone have been used in buildings and boundary walls, while stone slate has been used for roofs. Traditional roofing materials include gritstone slate , stone slate, Staffordshire Blue clay tile roofs, and later Welsh slate. The vernacular architecture also incorporates distinctive regional styles. A small number of 16th century or earlier timber-frame buildings remain. Cruck-framed buildings have been found in the Dark Peak, but rare cruck-built houses and farm buildings have also been found within the White Peak.
# How vulnerable are building materials?
Building materials in the PDNP have been rated ‘moderate’ on our vulnerability scale. This score is due to high sensitivity and exposure to climate change variables, but a high adaptive capacity. It is hard to quantify the current condition; however building materials are susceptible to changes in weather and fluctuations in temperature. Moves to upgrade the thermal efficiency of buildings could potentially have an impact on ventilation. This may make them more susceptible to rot and insect infestation as well as changing the character of the roof scape. Skills do exist to enable buildings to be adapted and maintained for modern living, and this can be somewhat controlled through the planning systems in place. It should be possible for the PDNP to retain its vernacular and distinctive architecture despite climate change.
Overall potential impact rating | |
Overall adaptive capacity rating |
# Current condition
Due to the diverse nature of this category and the limited information available it is hard to quantify the current overall situation. As an example, there has been some erosion at low levels on some of the historic buildings within the PDNP such as a number of historic buildings in Bakewell built from finer grained sandstones. This is predominantly at ground level and may have been caused by dissolved salts used on the highway or other contaminants associated with roads. Loss or degradation of traditional building materials has also been associated with dereliction of properties (see ‘Farmsteads’ and ‘Field Barns and Outfarms’ feature assessments for more information) or by installation of non-traditional materials as buildings are ‘upgraded’ or adapted.