Lincolnshire, with its limited resources of building stone, has a long tradition of building earth and timber houses, known as 'mud and stud'. The 'mud' is a mix of earth, straw and water, while the 'stud' is the simple timber frame. Mud is daubed onto laths and finished with a coat of limewash and the half-hipped roof was thatched with reed or straw. Mud and stud is unique to Lincolnshire but most buildings in this style were destroyed during the 20th century and only about twenty cottages survive in their original form. This one, at Little Steeping, 3 miles SE of Spilsby, was built around 1750 and has survived with minimal alteration. It was renovated by Heritage Lincolnshire in 2000 and is available for holiday lets through the Vivat Trust. website: www.vivat.org.uk | 
