1st Battle of St Albans

[Gran76]

Im currently scratch building some houses and wondered if the roofs were thatch or tiles or a mixture of both i.e outskirts thatch, middle of the town tiles, any help would be appreciated thanks.

[Hertsblue]

Not much thatch in Hertfordshire these days, Gran, and I doubt there was much in the middle ages. When we did 1st St Albans many years ago we used pantiles for most of the buildings.

One thing that's not obvious from maps - the town slopes downhill from St Peter's church down St Peter's St. It also slopes downhill on either side of the road i.e. the street runs down the crest of a ridge.

[Duke Speedy of Leighton]

Yeah, try pushing a pram up that! 

I'm sure it was noted as tiled roofs on one of the chronicles (did someone starts throwing them...) 

There is a ready supply of thatch around the river Ver at the bottom of the hill, they used to export reeds to Luton for hats and the wet lands round Redbourne and Redbournebury were famous for them..

[Gran76]

 Thanks guys for the info very interesting. Tiles it is then. Might have to visit the town one day.Although I bet a lot has changed. Thanks again 

[Duke Speedy of Leighton]

The street plan is actually the same, and there are a large amount of medieval (or mock medieval) building still in the town centre, have a look for the Plume of Feathers on Google maps streetview. . If you know where to look the major events of the day are signed. It's the second st albans battlefield that has been developed over.