1010 Modern Cottage of Chalk and Cement. [Feb. 



THE MODERN COTTAGE OF CHALK 

 AND CEMENT. 



John F. Wilkes. 



In the September issue of this Journal an article was 

 published describing experiments in cottage building in pise 

 de terre which are being conducted by the Ministry on its 

 farm settlement at Amesbury. Among the illustrations which 

 accompanied the article was one showing a cottage of chalk 

 and cement blocks (made in a block machine) in course of 

 erection. The following account of cottages built of the same 

 materials at Elmdon, near Saffron Walden, some years ago 

 may be of interest. 



The photographs here reproduced were all taken in 1920. 

 It will be noticed how well the stability and good appearance 

 of the cottages have been preserved. 



Fig. 1 illustrates a pair of cottages erected in 1904. The 

 ground floor is built of chalk cement blocks, and the upper 

 floor of lath and plaster on stud work; the chimneys only 

 are of brick. The total cost of the two cottages was 

 £356 9s. 8d. They contain 13,000 cubic feet, and the 

 estimated saving of cost by using chalk blocks instead of bricks 

 for the ground floor w T alls was £14 for the pair. 



Fig. 2 illustrates a single cottage built in 1907 on similar 

 lines, at a cost of £166, excluding outbuildings or fencing. 

 The builder's original estimate was £187 for a brick cottage, 

 but a saving of £21 was effected in respect of haulage, brick- 

 layers' time, and the lower cost of blocks as compared with 

 bricks at the time. 



Fig. 3 illustrates a bailiff's house built in 1909. It is made 

 entirely of chalk cement blocks, except for the chimneys. 

 Twenty tons of cement were used at a cost of 16s. 6d. a ton 

 at works; the cost of labour in making the blocks was £16 15s. 

 The total cost of the house was £388, including cost of haulage 

 of cement and bricks. 



Fig. 4 shows a granary built in 1920 of chalk cement blocks 

 made in 1919. The cost of chalk and cement blocks has 

 increased considerably since 1904, as will be seen from the 

 following table. The costs stated do not include the value of 

 the chalk. 



It will be noticed that in 1904 blocks were slightly larger 

 than in 1919, and that the proportion of chalk to cement was 



