In a note to Mr. Baldwin's appeal (now published by
the Royal Society of Arts, John Street, Adelphi) for the Preserva- tion of Ancient Cottages, Mr. Thomas Hardy suggests that the construction of old cottages should be imitated when rebuilding is absolutely necessary. " I would urge owners," he writes, " to let as many as are left of their old- cottages remain where.
they are, and to repair them instead of replacing them with bricks, since, apart from their warmth and dryness, they havd almost always great beauty and charm." The Prime Minister urges the saving of " these priceless gems of English craftsman- ship," for, as he says, " nothing is more characteristic of the English countryside than the cottage homes which, for century upon century, have sheltered her sturdy sons of toil." This little booklet contains an appeal for practical help which is deserving of our best attention.
* * * *
Previous page
