As late as 1940, many families still lived in turf houses and lit their homes with seal-oil lamps.
There's a museum that I love, called Glaumbaer, which is a turf house, an old farmhouse, actually, from the 18th century.
Even the rooftop, a slab of concrete topped with grass that was displaced by construction, bears resemblance to ancient Icelandic turf houses — structures built into grassy hills, using the land as walls.
Cabin for two £1,094 a week, short breaks from £547, cabin for six £677.50 for two nights, eaglebrae.co.uk Turf houses were common in Iceland until well into the 20th century, as turf is a great insulator.
For most of the century, the turf houses had been objects of critique, often referred to as dirt hovels, unbecoming as dwellings of a civilised nation.
During the 19th century, the turf houses were increasingly rejected, especially in urban areas, in place of housing built from imported timber and, after the turn of the century, concrete.
The medical profession was also highly critical of the turf houses, considering them unsanitary to the extreme and recommending their systematic eradication to enhance the nation's physical health and hygiene (Hafsteinsson and Jóhannesdóttir 2015).
A turf house may last fifty years or longer if well-maintained in a cold climate.
Turf was once extensively used for the walls of houses in Ireland, Scotland and Iceland, where some turf houses may still be found.
Skogar Museum visitors can see see how the Icelanders lived in the past in small turf houses and learn the history of Icelandic inhabitants.
