How Were Viking Longhouses Built?

Vikings lived in single storey buildings called Longhouses – so called because they were long and rectangular. But how were Viking Longhouses built?

How Were Viking Longhouses Built?

Viking Longhouse with Wattle & Daub walls on the left

How Big Was a Viking Longhouse?

Viking longhouses were around 5 to 7 metres wide and anywhere from 15 to (a huge!) 75 metres long (that’s the same length as two and a half blue whales glued together from nose to tail). The larger Longhouses were often farmhouses owned by rich families. The shorter ones were often built in small towns where there was less space.

Start with the House Frame:

Construction started with a basic wooden frame creating the shape of the walls and roof. The gaps between the wooden frames were filled using a technique called Wattle & Daub.

Wattle and Daub:

Wattle and Daub involved placing a lattice of thin wooden strips (Wattle) between the wooden frames then coating it in something sticky (Daub) such as mud, clay, sand, or even animal dung! The Daub would dry to form a sturdy wall.

Top Quality Flooring:

There were no fancy floors in a Longhouse. No posh tiles, smooth laminate or rustic floorboards. Instead, the soil beneath the house was simply pounded flat to create a hard floor inside.

Using turf and thatched straw for the Longhouse roof

Adding the Roof:

The roof of the Longhouse would be built from wooden planks, thatched with straw or layered with turf (a layer of earth with grass on top).

Add "Windows" - IE Roof Gaps:

There were no windows in the Longhouse so small gaps in the roof materials let a little light in and allowed smoke from the fire to escape.

Now you've got a home fit for a Viking king or Jarl. Well, almost! Don't forget to design a beautiful interior to your Longhouse too. You can find out about making your new Longhouse nice and homely on the inside, in our blog "Life in a Viking Longhouse".