Wattle & Stone began when my sons discovered ‘Battle Games in Middle Earth’ and our dining table (covered in a Subbuteo cloth!) became the scene of many battles (some ending in warriors breaking down in tears!). My grasp of wargaming rules failed to make the grade so I was sidelined to making the battle terrain. I grappled with terrain building while the boys were slowly distracted from the gaming table by football and computer games… I was left with a hobby that I didn’t want to stop but that had no outlet…

…The stock of terrain grew slowly and then a chance remark at a car boot sale led me to the Newbury and Reading Wargame Society’s open day, ‘Call to Arms’, in February 2008. The stock of terrain was admired and sold. Cheered by the helpful comments and complimentary remarks received I ordered more raw materials and set to work…

Inspiration comes from many sources including the excellent Weald and Downland Open Air Museum in Sussex (see below for useful links) plus a healthy dose of imagination!

Planning: I sketch a plan of a building and views from all sides then translate these on to graph paper.

Construction: Basic building materials include foamcard, Styrofoam, balsa wood, Polyfilla and card so models are sturdy but light. Other carefully selected bits and bobs give the detail. A variety of painting techniques bring the buildings to life.