The new woodshed

Pedant’s Corner: the woodshed roof is made of embrici (flat, Raised edged trapezoid or rectangular tiles) and coppi (half tubes with a narrow and wide end - said to have been formed on a woman’s thigh).

These are different from pantiles - a wave shaped tile that overlaps its neighbours. Embrici and coppi are found in Ancient Greek and Roman buildings. This arrangement is often referred to as a Roman roof.

They lie flat on a gently sloping roof and are not fixed or pegged. The last tile from the roof edge is usually rectangular and raised up on a smaller terracotta tile at its eave end. Otherwise last course of tiles tilts at a sharper angle which is aesthetically difficult and could cause them to slip into the void and brain passersby.

Presumably this system of roof tiling did not suit the much windier and wet