Amid the built environment of the Cayman Islands, the traditional ‘Cayman cottages’ stand out. Dating mainly from the mid-19th to mid-20th centuries, these modest, usually single-storeyed dwellings display traditional architectural features such as verandahs with intricate fretwork, hipped roofs (thatched with palm or shingled with wooden tiles) to drain rainwater, and floors raised well above the ground to allow floodwater to pass beneath. The framework was often constructed of ironwood from the dry forests, which is a highly durable and rot-resistant timber. Wattle and daub panels were then used to complete the walls.