Hougoumont - Thatched Roof ?
Hello All, On a recent trip to Waterloo, I noticed that the model of Hougoumont in the Waterloo museum showed some of the Hougoumont buildings with thatched roofs. None of the commercially available models depict this - does anyone have any more information on the types of roof on the buildings at the time of the battle. Thanks, Tony

We know they were made of flammable material because they were set alight, so thatch fits.

Hougoumont
All the surviving buildings are tiled roofs. I assume that the thatch-roofed ones are those that burned?? And assuming that they weren't changed in the past?? http://www.trabel.com/waterloo/waterloo-hougoumont.htm http://www.trabel.com/waterloo/houg1.htm Cliff

Hougomont
Yes, the model (now in the Panorama at Hameau du Lion) is very considered and shows the true buildings at the time of the battle. And yes, none of the buildings on the market is properly accurate - but heck, its only a game! :o) Geoff

And were all of the exterior walls of each building rendered white all over in 1815? Most artistic depictions and wargame models have all outer facing walls and most inner facing walls - other than those of the farmer's house and small attached barn - left as natural red brick. On a technical point, shells falling from a height could easily penetrate a slate/tile roof and cause a fire, especially if there were attic rooms with furnishings, or storage areas with combustibles.

Hougomont
Good question re the walls. They have just redone the chapel, which has stood for years and years in plain brick with a slate roof. Their renovation now has it in a painted rendered finish (creamy pale yellow). The slate was replaced with new slates, so the rendered finish they have chosen would probably be a considered one. The interior walls of the courtyard areas have also had a wash in the same colour, and these areas have been washed in pale yellow for donkeys years. Ill see if I can find a photo to upload. The south garden walls and farmer's house (south gate) don't appear to have any signs of previous render, and you can clearly see musket ball marks etc in some of the brickwork. Contemporary illustrations of the battle generally don't show enough detail here - the idea of cutting individual bricks into a woodcut probably wouldn't appeal to the illustrator. The side and rear barns are very difficult. There is clearly newer brick on older low foundation rough stone walling (currently the stone is painted white). Some of the bricks have evidence of damage on them. I don't know whether this is because there were originally plain bricks there which have been recycled on the site following collapse of the barns previous to or during the battle, or if the previous stone has been replaced with cheaper bricks brought in from another source (again, either before or after the battle). Certainly looking around the area you do see the occasional brick farmhouse (Gemioncourt is a good example) but typically with these ancient farmsteads in Wallonia you see high rubble walls rendered and whitewashed on all sides - there are loads of them scattered around Waterloo battlefield itself. My guess is that at least the farming areas would all have been rendered and whitewashed rubble stone on the day. The residences might well have been left in posher "brick", but then why render the inside of the farmers house and not the outside? And why depict the chapel as rendered now?. I think there would be hard roofs on the residences. Slate on the chateau, slate or possibly tile on the farmer's and gardiner's houses, but cheaper thatch on the working areas. Its a tricky one this. Even when you are standing in front of the thing you cant easily work it all out! Cheers Geoff