Page 9 - Guide_EN

Farmhouse The farmhouse is an original building which was built here in the 16th century. It is a typical example of a building made from square logs over- lapped and jointed together. The wood usually came from the farmers own forest and was felled and prepared for use in the construction with the help of neighbours. The spare wood was stored appropriately. The logs for burning on the fire in the kitchen and for the stove were first cut into meter long lengths and then split in half and stacked to dry. When dry the split logs were cut into three lengths, each approximately 33cm long and then split into wedges and re-sta- cked. The stacking of the logs was a matter of pride - a collapsed stack was an embarrassment and according to local folk lore, an indication that a baby was on the way. The stone part of the kitchen wall by the road is not original. The wall was built during the renovations in order to protect the wood from spray from passing vehicles. The main beams for the house were round wooded tree trunks which were made square using a special type of axe called an adze. They are approximately 15cm by 15cm. You can see examples of the various wood working tools in the workshop. The planks were cut by four men (two above and two below) by hand using a frame saw. This work was physi- cally exhausting! The house was erected by travelling carpenters who worked for board, lodging and a small wage. The floor plan of the Lower Inn Valley Farmhouse is very simple, main- ly to minimise waste of the precious commodity wood. The house is square with an entrance door and balcony door. Between the first floor 7