Shepherds’ Corbelled Huts in Slovenia

Norman Haddow 1

SHEPHERDS’ CORBELLED HUTS IN SLOVENIA

Contents Introduction ............................................................................................................................................ 2

Background ............................................................................................................................................. 3

Construction ............................................................................................................................................ 5

Stage 1 Foundation ........................................................................................................................ 5

Stage 2 Walls up to the top of the door lintel................................................................................. 6

Stage 3 The corbelled roof .............................................................................................................. 6

Stage 4 Finishing the roof outside .................................................................................................. 7

Decorations and variations ..................................................................................................................... 8

Conclusions ............................................................................................................................................. 9

Bibliography ............................................................................................................................................ 9

Figure 1 - Scottish Slovenian Friendship (Norman Haddow and Boris Čok)

Shepherds’ Corbelled Huts in Slovenia

Norman Haddow 2

Introduction In many regions of the so called advanced world, there is a growing recognition

that traditional rural skills are being lost and that something needs to be done

to preserve and record them. Not only that but also an understanding that

unless these crafts are practised and promoted they will finally disappear. For

example a 2006 conference on the decline of the traditional craft of dry stone

walling in the UK reported that there is no legislation to protect dry stone walls

and:

“the extent of the damage to the network by dereliction, removal and

theft, now poses a major threat to this important part of Britain’s

cultural heritage.” (Aliston, 2006)

Alongside this problem with walls, English Heritage reported a fall of 13% in

the number of starting apprentices and trainees in craft related skills in

England between 2005-6 and 2006-7. (Construction News, 2007)

Shepherds’ Corbelled Huts in Slovenia

Norman Haddow 3

Background Slovenia was part of the Habsburg Monarchy for 650 years and from 1867 -

1918 part of the Austro-Hungarian Empire. For most of that time, particularly

in the Kras region, there was a high proportion of oak forest. Even today, 75%

of the country is wooded. Since Roman times the oak had been used for

housing and shipping.

Particularly in the

nineteenth century the

remaining oaks were

replaced with non-native

Black Pines. The most

important period for the

development of Kras

stone culture began

under the rule of

Empress Maria Theresa

(1740-1780). This

marked the end of the

feudal system and much

of the land which had been owned by the aristocracy was purchased by local

people. The land was divided into lots by Imperial surveyors. The new owners

began to clean their land from the massive limestone rocks breaking them into

smaller pieces with hammers picks and sometimes using gunpowder. They

built dry stone walls .The rest of the stone was gathered into huge piles called

Grublja (Figure 2 - Grublja). The rocks were also used to create dry stone

shelters for the farmers and their children, who helped to control the livestock.

As Zupančič has said:

"There is a simple logic here: useless heaps of stone could be better

used to mark plots or create some shaded niche to protect against

the weather. Division of labour was by sex and age. Usually, children

cleared the fields and then the father (the owner) did the walling."

(Zupančič, 2010)

Figure 2 - Grublja

Shepherds’ Corbelled Huts in Slovenia

Norman Haddow 4

The climate in the Kras region is very hot in the summer with heavy rainfall in

the spring. An unusual feature is the strong cold wind (Burja) which can blow

at any time of the year. The huts were built by the locals to protect themselves

from the intense heat and the bitterly cold wind. The oldest surviving huts are

approximately 170 years old and were in use into the 20th century until the

population movement into towns away from agriculture became common.

Until now, almost all of these huts (Hiška) have been neglected and are falling

into ruin. As Zupančič has said:

"With changed habits over the last sixty or seventy years, the vast development from homo domesticus to homo commuter, local knowledge and cultural awareness have almost faded away. The end result is seen on the ground: many of these elaborate stone structures were no longer needed and have become overgrown with bushes and creepers." (Zupančič, 2010)

In 2010, I attended a dry stone walling Congress in Cumbria. Two of the

lectures were given by Professor Borut Juvanec and Domen Zupancic, both of

whom are attached to the Department of Architecture in the University of

Ljubljana. They described the corbelled huts of the Kras region and pointed out

that many of these were in a poor state. They also explained that during April

2011 they would be

organising a group of

students, along with

knowledgeable locals to

restore a number of

hiška and help others to

understand the

principles involved in

their construction.

Through a generous

grant from the Winston

Churchill Memorial Trust

I was able to join this

group.

Figure 3 - Hiška

Shepherds’ Corbelled Huts in Slovenia

Norman Haddow 5

On the first Monday after my arrival in the small Slovenian village of Lokev, before the students arrived, I had the privilege of observing a hiška (Figure 3 - Hiška) being built in a garden by local school children under the guidance of Boris Čoc (pronounced Chalk). Boris, now retired, had sheltered in these huts as a child helping to look after his family’s sheep and cattle. In 2009 he was the first to contact the Ministry of Culture of the Republic of Slovenia about the forgotten beauty of these herdsmen stone shelters. They were first recorded and registered by Eda Belingar and Boris Cok. Boris had already repaired a number of huts in the surrounding area of pine woodland. Over the next few weeks Boris Cok, Mitja Koba, Dusan Okoren, Pino Hrovatin, Professor Borut Juvanec and his assistant Domen Zupancic, a group of Architecture students and I rebuilt several hiška, closely viewed and recorded by local and national media (TV Primorka, TV Rai 3, Primorske Novice, Delo, Dnevnik, Kras, Dragodid).

Construction

Stage 1

Foundation

The size required for the foundation was determined by the proposed height

of the doorway, the number of

people requiring shelter and

whether these were adults or

children. An upright was driven into

the ground. Two concentric circles

were drawn on the grass to coincide

with the width of the walls and a

gap was left for the door space,

relating to the direction of the burja.

The proposed door height gave an

indication of the width of the walls.

This was between 40cm and 90 cm. The turf was then removed (Figure 4) and

the top soil dug out until firm material was reached (either sub-soil or rock).

The two circles of foundation were then laid, leaving a gap for the doorway,

but using a large rectangular rock of the perfect width on both sides of the

entrance where these were available. Hearting was then carefully placed

between all the foundation stones.

Figure 4

Shepherds’ Corbelled Huts in Slovenia

Norman Haddow 6

Stage 2

Walls up to the top of the door lintel

As was common in Slovenia, the walls were erected with a very slight batter.

Care was taken to

create a smooth

surface, particularly on

the internal surface. As

most of the rock was

irregular limestone, it

requires some skill to

make the sides flat and

because of this, the

best rocks were used

on the inside. Naturally,

the stones with

squared ends (Figure 5 - Square End Stones) were selected for the doorway on

each side. Once the top of the door was complete, one or two lintel rocks

(gurenc in Slovene) were lifted into place. The walls were then completed to

run right round the structure making an entire flat loop round the hiška.

Stage 3

The corbelled roof

Where possible, large flat rocks were arranged all the way round the loop with

a slight overhang on the outside. After this first layer, much smaller stones

were placed in concentric circles all the way round. It was important that small

wedge shaped fragments were put under each stone added, to ensure that any

water would be directed to the exterior. On the outside of each layer, stones

were placed to make the overall view a neat circle. These rocks on the bearing

wall were positioned to act as a counter weight for the stones overhanging the

corbelled dome. Normally one person would stand inside the hiška with a

bucket of wedges and as those outside put on the stones, the person inside

would insert the wedges.

Figure 5 - Square End Stones

Shepherds’ Corbelled Huts in Slovenia

Norman Haddow 7

As the roof was raised and

rocks were placed with a

small part overhanging the

centre, then the hole became

smaller and smaller (Figure

6).

The person inside had to be tall or stand on some

support, depending on the height required. Finally

the last rock was laid carefully to close the top,

leaving an internal corbelled dome. (Figure 7)

Stage 4

Finishing the roof outside

While the dome was being

created, those outside were

adding stone and rocks to

ensure that the entire build

looked smooth and that there

was enough cover to prevent

the entry of rain water,

irrespective of the wind

Figure 8

Figure 7

Figure 6

Shepherds’ Corbelled Huts in Slovenia

Norman Haddow 8

direction. (Figure 8)

Decorations and Variations Many of the huts had unusually shaped limestone placed on the very top. This

was not only for decoration but to recognise the builder and owner of the

hiška. Every hiška had a family name and some of the huts around Lokev had

fireplaces. Some had inscriptions and several were different shapes

depending on the adjoining rocks. The largest hiška which I saw was square

shaped with a flat roof this could accommodate at least 12 adults.

(Figures 9-12)

Figure 9

Figure 10

Figure 11

Figure 12

Shepherds’ Corbelled Huts in Slovenia

Norman Haddow 9

Conclusions

The corbelled shepherd huts of the Kras region of Slovenia were under threat

of being lost. These were originally built by farmers and the principles are

simple enough for unskilled labourers to make them, with only some guidance.

Thankfully a group of people and organisations are concerned about the

restoration of the existing and building of new hiska. This rural craft is now

being practised and recorded locally, nationally and internationally through the

work of local folk in the Kras region, the University of Ljubljana and the

Winston Churchill Memorial Trust.

The future of these distinctive structures seems assured.

Bibliography Aliston, B. (2006, July 14). Walling conference tackles decline in traditional craft. Retrieved May 31,

2011, from Farmers Guardian: http://www.farmersguardian.com/walling-conferences-

tackles-decline-in-traditional-craft/2849.article

Construction News. (2007, November 6). Decline in traditional building craft skills. Retrieved May 31,

2011, from Construction News: http://www.cnplus.co.uk/decline-in-traditional-building-

skills/219473.article

Zupančič, D. (2010). Hiska at Kras in Slovenia. (S. Adcock, Ed.) Retrieved May 31, 2011, from

Stonechat: http://www.dswales.org.uk/Stonechat/21_Summer_2010.pdf