A Kažun dry stone-built hut on the Tissington Trail, Derbyshire, built by Istrain craftsmen Croatia

Описание: If you have cycled or walked on the Tissington trail near Parsley Hay in the Peak district of Derbyshire. You may have come across this strange dry stone shelter.

It is a traditional Croatian-built building mainly found in the Istrian Peninsula of northwest Croatia.

The Kažun was built by dry stone masons from Istria, using limestone from the nearby Once a Week Quarry and (for the roof) sandstone from Johnsons Wellfield Quarry near Huddersfield.

It even has a corbelled roof (also referred to as a hidden or false doom), which is unique to these kinds of buildings.

Kažun were mainly built during the 18th and 19th centuries as a shelter from the weather for those working in the fields as farmers, vine and olive pickers, shepherds, and walkers in the limestone region of Istrain. Kažun are now increasingly being restored as part of Croatia’s cultural heritage. Similar dry stone buildings exist elsewhere along the coast of Croatia, with names such as Bunje, Cemeri, Poljarice, Kucice, Vrtujci, Komarde and Trimi.

Buildings of the same or very similar type are also found in many Mediterranean countries and in northwest Europe. This includes the famous Trulli at Alberobello in the Puglia region of Italy, Cacciare and Koce. Elsewhere in Italy, Giren in Malt, Pinetta in Sardinia, Hiska in Slovian, Crota in Switzerland, Bories, Cabote and Cabane in Southern France, Barraques in Catalonia, Clochan in Ireland, Twic Crwn Mochyn in Wales, beehive huts in Scotland and England.


The white Peak area of the Peak District National Park, Derbyshire, is named after the grey-white limestone rock, which is similar to the limestone in Croatia.

The Peak District was chosen as the site because of its long and continuing tradition of dry stone walls and buildings, although many of these buildings have been mooted to give stability and its many links with the Council of Europe and the European Union.