Long house
A form of Medieval and Post-Medieval house. Such houses have a long measurement greatly exceeding that of their width, by a factor of two or three. These buildings date to the 14th to 16th centuries. They were divided by a wood or stone partitions into rooms for separate animal and human occupation. Such a division of rooms may be made by a cross-passage leading through opposed doors across the width of the building. These may have had an upper storey in the roof space. Excavated examples possessed hearths in the living accommodation and drains in the byre section. Several examples have been excavated at Memmerkirk and West Whelpington, Northumberland. Longhouses are often found in earlier prehistoric enclosures.
To explore more glossary entries click on a letter.