Newsletter No 34

The Thatch Advice Centre’s 34th bi-annual email Newsletter (which went out in March 2026) is now here for everyone to enjoy.

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Thatch Advice Centre Newsletter No 34

In this Newsletter

Our Newsletter Sponsors
Website Updates/Articles
Thatching Material Longevity
Charging Your Car
Thatch Fire Safety Improvements
Apprenticeship Update
Interesting Enquiries
Our New and Longstanding Thatch Directory Associates
Thatch of the Month
Straw Harvest Machinery Workshop
Flashback Fridays
Good News from Bad
Thatch Tale
Selection of our Social Media Posts
Be Social
Collaborative Articles
Working Together
Thatch Picture Competition Update
Finding a Thatcher
The Future for Thatch
Next Time
And Finally

Our Newsletter Sponsors

Everywhen

Get Thatch Insurance you can trust at Brown & Brown

At Brown & Brown, we understand that every thatched property has their own unique needs, with no “one size fits all” solution. That’s why we have a friendly, specialist team dedicated to providing thatched insurance cover. The team will take the time to understand your needs, and try to tailor a policy for around your property.

As the risks are greater for thatched homes, we also have a UK-based, in-house claims team ready to support you when you need it most. Get in touch with Brown & Brown or call us on 01458 270 352 for a quote today.

Website Updates / Articles

We are proud of our evolving site, where changes and additions are regularly made.  Page updates, articles, pictures or even just tweaks. Constantly striving to improve our content.

Please check our site before contacting us.  Everyone has limited time and a quick search of the site or our many articles may give you the answer you need.  As always we are happy to help if you are struggling.

Plenty of updates to the site, including the big article on The Future for Thatch (which took us ages to write and put on our website)  but it has been so well received, with over 500 link clinks from social media in the first couple of days of mentioning.  Many thanks for the extremely positive feedback on this one!

Here’s some of the recent enhancements:-

Thatching Material Longevity

How long do thatching materials last?  A question often asked of us and there are general timescales used by all in the trade on material longevity.  That being said, things are perhaps changing.

A lovely message was received from a proud owner whose combed wheat reed thatched cottage  (circa 1600), east facing elevation, is over 40 years old and still sound.  Quality of material, skill of application, aspect and weather conditions all play a part but it is good to hear of such roofs standing the test of time well.

This has lasted longer than some Water Reed roofs we have been hearing about, which have the dreaded white rot.  This seems to be becoming a bigger issue affecting longevity than the points mentioned above.

Charging your Car?

Progress in one area doesn’t always make things easy in another.  We understand that charging an electric car is causing insurance issues.  We heard from a homeowner who had been told “if the charger catches fire or the car catches fire when charging, the insurance would not cover the damage to the house”.   Fire safety, insurance and peace of mind are important for everyone so please check your cover if charging your electric car at home, thatched or not.  Please don’t assume.

Thatch Fire Safety Improvements

Lot of conversations about woodburners and thatch, especially with the cost of fuel situation.   If deposits up a chimney can cause a chimney fire (which spews out sparks and is a fire risk), keeping the chimney clean is therefore very important way to reduce the fire risk.  Many insurers understand the risks well and so are proactive with their requirements.

Thinking now? – Newer woodburners are designed to reduce emissions (Clean Air Policy), so this must surely also make them less of a risk of creating deposits and having a chimney fire?

Many people with thatch have solid fuel appliances.  Three fires this month we know about, causes yet to be confirmed.  However, with our knowledge over the years, this seems to be the risky time of year, cold snaps and dry roofs.  Fires often point to issues with solid fuel burning.  Birds are starting to nest as well, which can be a risk if in your chimney!

Please keep your chimneys checked and cleaned regularly and we recommend having a bird guard fitted.

Understand and reduce the fire risks and increase your peace of mind.  There is risk in everything in life and mitigating it, like wearing a seatbelt in a car and having good tyres, makes sense.

Apprenticeship Update

Government changes to the apprenticeships have caused issues for our thatching apprenticeship (and apparently the whole Construction Industry).  See more information in our recent article on the Future for Thatch.

Interesting Enquiries

Amongst the people contacting us for the usual rebuild valuations, insurers, purchasing questions, roof inspections, pest issues, looking for thatchers etc, we had other rather interesting enquiries for example:

• Looking for thatching straw to make martial arts targets
• Fire and Rescue Services – looking for information on thatched properties in their areas
• 24 acres of woods available for coppicing, spar making etc.
• Farmer looking for thatching straw seed
• Straw grower wanting to buy, beg, borrow (or steal) a buncher, trusser or comber.
• Searching for a finial
• Looking for thatching tools
• Water Reed roofs with issues with white rot
• Chimney cappings
• Marram grass project, Ireland.
• Roof collapse, looking for help
• Charity who adopted a C1600 condemned thatched property
• Queries on GII barn conversion
• Wanting to rethatch New Forest Show entrances and one of the trade stands
• Thatcher with tricky customer
• Spark arresters, yes or no
• Problem with CO alarms
• Looking for information on electrical installations
• Unhappy homeowner with their new thatch
• Architectural help
• Landrace project and its links with thatching

 Our New and Longstanding
Thatch Directory Associates

We regularly direct people to our Our bespoke Thatch Directory.  This offers visitors Specialist Thatch Associates who can assist with beneficial services for thatched properties.  Associates provide references  for approval so we, and our visitors, can have increased peace of mind.

Thatch Insurance Associates Harte Private Clients Limited  Appreciating the service they offer (via our Thatch Directory) to our thatched property owners.

Thatch Insurance Associates Lloyd & Whyte Heritage. Appreciating the service they offer to thatched property owners via our Thatch Directory.

Warm Wednesday Welcome – Activate Insurance Brokers to our Thatch Directory.  Independent FCA broker for thatched properties and thatched pubs.

4th generation Master Thatcher Associates Chris Dodson Thatching Services Ltd.  Award winning Master Thatcher using all main materials and based in Cambridgeshire.

Our Thatch Directory Associates Park Insurance, who continue to support our thatched community offering their specialist insurance services.

Promoting the Devon & Cornwall Master Thatcher’s Association and their approved members.  Valued and respected Associates on our Thatch Directory.

If you can offer specialist services to our visitors, why not join us as an Associate.  Take the opportunity of using our current special promotional code which gives the benefit of two years advertising for the price of one to our Newsletter readers .  Use code NEWS34 at checkout, valid until the end of April 2026.  PS References are required.

Please get in touch to find out more about joining us.

Thatch of the Month

Want your Picture to be our Thatch of the Month on Social Media?

Send us your thatch pictures to be considered.  Free promotion (if you want) and a great opportunity to showcase lots of lovely thatch.

PS.  Of course, we are also planning a Thatch of the Month Gallery.

Remember, all sorts of photographs (or drawings/paintings) are welcome and you will always be credited / copyrighted for any used.

Straw Harvest Workshop Update

This was a long but interesting day.  We await the imminent launch of the Historic England Technical Guides which will give an opportunity for more people to understand the machinery used in harvesting thatching straw.

Flashback Fridays

Sharing our previous, still relevant and useful articles makes sense.  New friends and followers may have missed them and they can be helpful reminders.  Thanks for the positive feed back.

Here you go….

Architect’s Tale

7 Signs of Pests in Thatched Roofs.
Deter pests at all times is our best advice…

Wooden Thatching Ladders – A Story
Wooden ladder making was a skill….. no longer used for thatching, probably due to health and safety.

Thatch and Gardens Looking at one of our gorgeous galleries with some blue skies and bursts of colour to brighten a January day.  Winner’s picture above.

Testing your Smoke and CO Alarms is very important.  Working together with others who agree and spreading the Fire Safety Message.

Good News from Bad

A local 300-year-old cottage was demolished with no permission.  There was local and public outcry and it was very good news to hear that the council have enforced the rebuilding of this property.  Sadly, it won’t be the same as before but hopefully it sends out a clear message.

Thatch Tale

How lovely to be offered money in return for our appreciated free advice.  We did not accept but were pleased to say a charity donation was made in our name.

Selection of our Social Media Posts

Social media allows us to share a variety of things which are going on in our world of thatch.  From useful or interesting information, events, what we or our associates are doing, or planning, articles, consultations, results and even just some great pictures.

We appreciate the likes, loves shares, comments tags and general community involvement. Remember to follow us on Facebook, Instagram or X to get the latest updates.

Here is a snapshot of some of our many and varied social media posts.  Please follow us to see all we do so you don’t miss out.  We love to receive tags and engagement.

First Friday Finial Fun – Thanks to Ellis Butcher for his Pelican painted ready to go on the roof.  Keep emailing us your finial pictures to be added to our gallery etc.

An interesting article from the Daily Echo on “The Story behind Hampshire and Dorset’s Thatched roofs” with some great pictures.

Wednesday Working Together.  We made a post on a Spar Making course via The Society for the Protection of Ancient Buildings and they shared it.  Simple ways to make things work for everyone’s benefit.

Thatch Thursday Thinking.  Interesting architectural video, some very varied buildings showing the versatility of thatch, from coastal modern, cozy cottages to, barns, museums and thatched walls.  Worth a look if you are looking for inspiration

Wednesday Windows.  A couple of dear little windows on this thatched roof elevation.

Pleased to have written an article for the Chimney Sweeps Magazine (Sweep Stuff) “Thatched Properties – Why Chimney Sweeps are so Important”.

Happy Halloween –  Enjoy and Stay Safe.  We love this decorated thatched cottage and its skeleton!

Monday Mood – Feeling Cosy?  If you have a woodburner or an open fire make sure your chimney is swept and any appliance is ready and safe to use.  Please read our Thatch Fire Safety Leaflet

We are looking for some experienced Pest Controllers to help with Thatch pest issues. Please get in touch preferably by email.  

Warm Wednesday with a lovely article on Eight of the UK’s Cosiest Thatched Cottages from the BBC News

Shared –  Butser Ancient Farm Wood Fayre in Conjunction with Hampshire Coppice Group.  A weekend of heritage crafts to take place at Butser Ancient Farm Near Petersfield on the 11th and 12th of July 2026, with the aim of bringing some of the rarest crafts in the woodland to the public.

Monday Motivation with a spotlight on our Thatch Directory Organisations.
So many useful groups. e.g.. Master Thatcher Associations, Chimney Sweep Organisations, Insurance, Historic and others..

Who doesn’t like a bit of Lego, especially when it’s made into a Thatched Cottage.  Great Article in the The Scottish Sun “The youngster from Edinburgh is just one of 17 designers worldwide to be selected to showcase their brick art at this year’s Masterpiece Gallery in Billund – the birthplace of Lego.”

Monday Motivation.  Get Snapping, email us your entries for our “Thatch with Character” picture competition. Thanks L Hook for this one, Pretty in Pink!

We did a series of lovely festive pictures for the 12 days of Christmas.  Send your festive pics to be considered for this year’s potential Christmas social media extravaganza!

Wednesday When… Did you last sweep your Chimney?
Part way through burning season is important for Fire Safety

Looking for Water Reed Supplies? Our friends at Tay Reed have Water Reed for sale, get in touch with them if you are looking for some UK material.

Monday Mention – Relevant businesses following us on Social media have the opportunity to be a Thatch Directory Associate and offer their services to our Thatched Community.  Conditions apply, experts with a proven track record (references required).

Everyone loves a new thatch, including Bruce Dickinson from Iron Maiden.  A great restoration project, by the Blake Cottage Trust.  The unveiling of the 17th Century rethatched cottage – previously occupied by the poet William Blake – is no exception.

“Thatch” and timber, a fibre dog artwork / shelter created by Assemble (at the end of last year) in Regents Park as part of the Frieze Art fair! Did you see it?

Half Term Help with the kids -especially if its raining with a bit of colouring in of a lovely thatched cottage -MIGHT BE HANDY THIS EASTER?

Wednesday Welcome News from Colchester Gazette.  After the devastating fire at the Boxted barns – a sensitive rebuild is planned “to preserve the established character and setting”  A bit of good news is always welcome.

Thatch Thursday Thought.  When did you last check the condition of your roof?
We’ve had some wild and wet weather this winter..

Wednesday Weavers Window.  Courtesy of Rural Historia and lovely to see the old thatch and interesting information.

March “In like a lion and out like a lamb”  After a very wet February we don’t fancy the lion but Spring flowers were definitely out early this year at Thatch HQ .

Wednesday Wondering – As many thatched cottages are very old and often listed. How many people have lived in or owned yours?  Our original thatched home was built in 1520 so we reckon a lot!!

Thatch Thursday.  Its World Book Day!  Who has a copy of “The Thatcher’s Craft?”
Ours is a 1961 edition and originally cost 42s!!

This fabulous Thatch Design picture caught our eye, so we had to share with our friends and followers. What do you think?

Valerie O’sullivan’s pictures of Reviving, Restoring and Rethatching of thatcher R O’Loideoin and apprentice rethatching an 1800s rope thatched dwelling in Ireland won her awards and our admiration of some fabulous photos.  Well done Killarney Advertiser

Spotlight on our Thatch Directory Chimney Sweep Associates – Spring has arrived and a clean chimney free of birds nests is definitely recommended.

Be Social

If you tag us in a relevant post, we love to share.   Who has funds for sponsoring posts?  None in our circles.

Organic sharing, loving and liking will continue to do its thing.

#workingtogether is our motto.  Thanks to all who have engaged so far and let’s all keep the social, social 😊

Collaborative Articles

Amazing response to the recent collaborative insurance articles, thank you.  It made us think it’s an excellent way to spread subject specific information from our friends and Associates.  We already have a plan forming but if you are a thatch specialist and have an idea for some useful, relevant (not salesy) advice in a collaborative article, please get in touch.

Working Together

This is our motto. We were pleased to share the information on the DEFRA Solid Fuel Burning Consultation sent to us by the helpful Guild of Master Chimney Sweeps.  It was for everyone, not just thatched and we felt helping promote this was important as it didn’t seem to have been very well advertised.

Thatch Picture Competition Update

Our “Thatch with Character” Picture Competition has received some fabulous  entries already, but with the changing seasons comes the opportunity to take the potentially winning shot!

Email us up to 6 picture entries, along with your contact details.  Give it a go!  All entries will be credited and go on a gallery to showcase the amazing variety of characterful cottages there are.  You may even be the winner.

Finding a Thatcher

Thatching is an unregulated craft. There are various organisations about but many thatchers are not paid members of any of them (but equally as competent).  It therefore can be confusing and hard for those looking to find a thatcher.  It’s not always easy to find specific thatchers either.   Do they all have an on-line presence and if they do is it up to date?

Recently, more homeowners have been looking for specific thatchers and it appears that more have retired or given up than was apparent.  If you are a retiring thatcher or giving up, please let us know so we can keep our records up to date.

Found a thatcher?  Our advice is always to get recommendations from previous clients whose roofs are wearing well after several years and who had a good service from that thatcher.  Maybe even let us know.  Remember, all thatchers call themselves Master Thatchers nowadays and so checking up on their abilities is a good idea.

The Future for Thatch

Our recent article on The Future for Thatch was written from a position of understanding and frustration.  Understanding from the homeowners to the material producers, thatchers to insurers and everything in between.  All the issues and points of view were starting to accumulate in a concerning way. Our article highlights the issues we see in the hope that the powers that be will better understand what is happening.  To make them understand the need for change and the need for it to be backed up with action and funding is our aim.  Please read it, sorry it’s a long one….

Next Time

Our next Newsletter is already being planned.  What we do and how, along with the format is being looked at and, we already have offer of sponsorship 😊 which is wonderful.

Have a great Spring and Summer folks and stay in touch.

And Finally

Thank you for being part of our growing thatch community.

Please remember to send us your thatch pictures for:-

• Thatch with Character Competition
• Thatch of the Month
• Finial to add to the Finial Fun Gallery
• Thatcher working on your roof
• Thatchers work
• Any lovely or interesting thatch scene

You will always be copywrited/credited.

If you can offer services to our thatch community, get in touch about joining us on our Thatch Directory and become an Associate.

Keep your eye on our website and social media too for regular updates.

Tell your friends with thatch to sign up for our Next Newsletter so they don’t miss out.

Until then……..

Copyright

The content of the Thatch Advice Centre email is circulated to its subscribers and is copyright.  These contents may only be reproduced with the permission of the Thatch Advice Centre.

Thatch Directory Categories – Phase I

Our site has one clear list of categories so it is easy to find help.  We are always looking for proven services to join us.  References are required.

·  Architects
·  Builders
·  Building Surveyors
·  Chimney & Flue Specialists
·  Chimney Sweeps
·  Electrical Engineers
·  Fire Safety Products & Supplies
·  Garden Buildings
·  Health and Safety
·  Insurance
·  Leadworkers
·  Master Thatchers
·  Organisations/Publications
·  Preservation & Pest Control

·  Quantity Surveyors
·  Reed & Straw Dealers
·  Scaffolding
·  Security
·  Solicitors
·  Solid Fuel & Heating Supplies
·  Specialist Builders
·  Specialist Building Materials
·  Structural Surveyors
·  Thatched Hospitality
·  Thatching Supplies
·  Timber Framed Builders
·  Tools & Equipment Hire
·  Tree Surgeons

Ask your friends to sign up to the Thatch Advice Centre Newsletter via the Website.
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Join us on Twitter, Instagram and Pinterest too!