Building a Cob house in a day.

Imagine the year is 1650, a young couple, Jacob and Catherine are about to get married, but have nowhere to live together. Their respective houses are already over-crowded. Up to 10 or more people would live in a Cob house 25 feet long and 13 feet wide.

Hence the practice of erecting a house in a single day by the whole village for the newly-weds. A communal venture. Once the house was completed, the householder would treat their guests to a party of eating, drinking and dancing.

But how was it possible to build a house in a little over sixteen hours, and could it be re-attempted 350 years later? The following is an account of an incredible day and a brilliant group of volunteers who made it all possible.

Our thanks to the staff at Meridian Broadcasting in Northam for their help in sourcing this film.

50 years of BBC South. A series of 17 mini-features made by BBC South at Southampton in 2011 to celebrate the station's 50 year history.

Episode 1 BBC South. Steve Humphrey tells the story of BBC South from the first broadcasts of South at Six. Introductory footage is from the British Pathé Archive.

NFG are indebted to the BBC staff at Southampton for their help in sourcing items for the archive. See more episodes in the Category - BBC South.

The wall targets at Ashley Walk Bombing Range.

A look at the work of the Forestry Commission. From the early days of forestry to the changing attitudes to wildlife, this film looks at modern day harvesting in the New Forest National Park.

A film by The Wildlife Society
Narrated by Tony Askew