Receiving plenty of enquiries and also pictures for our lovely Listed Thatch competiton.  Thank you to all the entries.  Congratulations to the winning picture (above) – more details below.

Planning the year ahead is high on the agenda so that we can improve the website and service as we help people with the thatch enquiries and problems.

We have had some very interesting discussions on new ideas in the fight against thatch fires and improving fire safety which we plan to enlighten you all on when we have evaluated them.

More information has been added to the website, details below, and we continue to develop excellent relationships with thatched home owners, organisations, services and suppliers who all, like us, have an interest in thatch.

Our newsletter subscriber numbers keep on increasing as our Thatch Community continues to grow.

Articles added were:

Newsletter – October 2016
ThatchThursday information for November, December and January
Merry Christmas from the Thatch Advice Centre – lovely seasonal video
How Thatching Straw is Harvested and Produced
Promoting Thatch Fire Safety at the GOMCS Trade Exhibition 2017
Thatch Advice Centre visit Butser Ancient Farm

New pages on the website:-

Harvesting and Producing Thatching Straw – this page includes videos of threshing machine too

Picture below of a horse drawn binder by kind permission from Hampshire Cultural Trust

Insurance – we have had a lot of enquiries regarding insurance and woodburner installations, especially in Listed Properties. Interestingly many of these calls are from installers.

Update on the Causes of Thatch Fires – New and existing websites promoting out of date information is still of concern but we continue to promote the best advice based on ejected embers and sparks being the major cause of thatch fires.  In the same vein, we are in the group, along with the NFU Mutual,  pushing to stop the use of sky lanterns and using specialist thatch fire retardant spray eg Magma Firestop to reduce the risks.  Update on the Fire Protection Association work below.

Delays in response times at Councils – we have been very pleased to have been able to assist with some very interesting thatch enquiries from various Councils.  Sharing our knowledge and experience is very satisfying.

Historic England – how many of you have added to the information on the National Heritage List?  Enriching the list and making a contribution for the future of the buildings is a very useful contribution.

Guild of Master Chimney Sweeps – more below on their exhibition which we are pleased to be attending –  everyone is welcome.

Thatching is a craft and not an exact science, although there are accepted codes of practice for each material based on understanding of how to produce a roof  ‘fit for purpose’.

The method of application and style can affect the appearance of the finished roof and, over the years, the variance in different areas of the country has become not only noted but preserved by tradition, education and even regulation.

From the pitch, style of windows and barges, to the ridges and the design and build of the property the style and appearance is quite apparent, from Norfolk to Devon, Wales to Suffolk.  Built from cob or  stone,  flint and brick or timber framed, the thatch adds to the character and style of the regions in more than just the look of the building but in the method by which it is applied to achieve that appearance.   The Irish and Scottish cottages have a distinctive character from both material and application – have you seen the stones and ropes?

Over the next few months we are starting work on more detailed pages on Regional Style and Variations of Thatch and have already had some excellent input from a member of the East Anglia Master Thatchers Association and promises of content from other respected Master Thatchers.  We welcome content from anyone (not just thatchers!) along with pictures of your regional thatch – all contributions will be gratefully received and will be attributed to you.

The versatility of thatch is something we all know about.  The regional variation page will be adding to the important information and interest in keeping these differences and the associated skills preserved.

Thatching straw is no longer a by-product of cereal production but has to be especially grown by farmers with the skill and knowledge to produce good materials.

The older varieties of corn have the long stems with the properties required. The materials are cut, stored and then the corn removed by threshing.  “Vintage machinery” springs to mind.

More information, old and new pictures and some videos of threshing machine in action on the website.

The Guild Trade Exhibition is taking place on Friday 10th and Saturday 11th March 2017 in Thame, Oxfordshire.

We are attending with other exhibitors and look forward to answering questions on Saturday at the short seminar on Thatch Fire Safety.  We look forward to meeting everyone and promoting the up to date information on reducing the risk of fire.  Free event for visitors, open to the public and everyone is welcome,

More information and the Exhibition Brochure.

SPAB (Society for Protection of Ancient Buildings) along with Historic Environment Scotland carried out a survey of thatched buildings in Scotland.

The results were published in September last year and are available on their website under archives and research / publications….thatch.  An interesting and useful document indeed.

Since the last Newsletter we popped in see Jeff King one afternoon last month.  His knowledge and wit at the fore made it an entertaining time and his contribution, regarding his appointment as Thatching Advisory Officer at Knusten Hall is as follows:-

30 Years in Teaching

“I went for an interview as a Thatching Officer with CoSIRA (Council for Small Industries in Rural Areas) and sat before the review panel of 5 or 6, which included Bill Trust who was Head of the Crafts Section at that time.  Questions were asked and responded to and at the end of the interview I went to shake hands with the panel. Never having been so formally interviewed before, I thought this must be the procedure.  Mr Trust was putting papers into his brief case and seemed reluctant to shake mine, but and in a flash I nervously commented that I wanted no favours and offered my hand again in a gesture of friendship. He did however shake my hand but I thought that was me finished, despite the fact that it made me even more uneasy than I was when I entered the interview room. When I got to the carpark, I saw several other thatchers, who I recognised as top class craftsmen and immediately thought that one of them was bound to get the job.

On the following Saturday I received a letter offering me the position and asking if I could start the following week.  As I had so much  work on my books to finish, I wrote back and told them I could not start until December – 8 or 9 months ahead. I was amazed that they said this was OK and that they would confirm the arrangement for me to start with them on 1 December 1970. During my first week in this new way of life, I received a letter telling me that I had 7 days Christmas Leave to come. I did a week at the HQ in London and then an intensive week each with my 2 new colleagues learning the ropes of the teaching world and how to approach craftsmen and Architects etc. I spent a week at Knuston Hall with the Senior Thatching Officer, Fred Cooper who was running a Course which I found extremely interesting. If I was a bit younger, I would still be with them today – If they would have me!!”

Snippets above and below from CoSIRA’s Whos Who in Advisory Service’s 1980 document, thanks to Jeff.

Sadly residential apprentice Thatch Training courses, available to everyone, are no longer held at Knusten Hall or anywhere – another funding casualty?

Winner Winner Chocolate Dinner!!

Many thanks for all your entries, lovely houses and a difficult choice. Congratulations to Sarah Shaylor – winner of our ‘Listed Thatch’ category  (1st picture at top of newsletter).   It is a Grade II Listed thatched cottage (formerly two workers cottages) in the Blackdown Hills, Somerset.  We have sent her the tin of special hand-made chocolates (from Chocolate Craft).

Please send  ‘Pub, Hotel, B&B or business’ pictures in for the next competition,  Entries with name and postal address to:-
claire@thatchadvicecentre.co.uk

There are more thatched business premises in the UK than you would think so we are looking forward to a varied entry.

Next categories:-

4  Pub, Hotel,  B&B or business
5  Thatching in progress
6  Interesting and unusual thatch

The winner of the next category 4 will be sent a fabulous bespoke, and made especially for our competition,  chocolate prize from Chocolate Craft.

Their chocolates are hand-made, supplied to customers such as Fortnum and Masons and are absolutely delicious.

To enter you will need to supply your own photograph(s) of the thatch along with the category and any details you want to provide, eg where it is.  You can enter as many photos as you like.   Don’t forget to include it along with your name, full address and postcode.  Email your  entries to:-Claire@thatchadvicecentre.co.uk.

In entering this competition, you agree for any picture supplied to be used by the Thatch Advice Centre.  Any pictures selected will be credited to yourself.

Deadline for category 4 entries is Friday 1st September 2017 at noon.  Entries for other categories can be received at any time.

Good luck and happy snapping.

Having spoken to Historic England a couple of weeks ago, we understand that there is some more testing underway which is to be completed before any of their guidance is finalised.

We will be kept informed and will, of course, keep you updated via our Website, Newsletter and Social Media forums.

The importance of this additional information in the fight against thatch fires cannot be understated and so we must remain patient.

Our recommendations, remain:-

Please understand that if you put in a lined flue to meet building regulations on a woodburner installation, you still have to be aware of the main risk which is burning embers and sparks and reduce this.

You need to avoid sparks and a chimney fire at all costs, so take care when lighting any fire, sweep chimneys regularly, burn seasoned wood (below 20% moisture) and don’t let your woodburner get too hot – think about using a chimney thermometer.  Low chimneys and woodburners increase the risk, which is obvious, so please be aware, especially if we have a cold dry snap part way through the burning season.  Remember, deter birds from nesting in and on your chimneys too!

Many specialist insurers offer reduced premiums (up to 20% we understand) if you have used a fire retardant spray to reduce the risk from potential sparks.  Insurers are also promoting the banning of Chinese or Sky Lanterns for the same reason and we agree they are a danger to both animals and property.

Robbie Burns Cottage

Picture Courtesy of Burns Museum

Burns night has been and gone but was a reminder that many famous people have lived under a thatched roof which is now famous too!

Burns Cottage is no exception.  Located in Alloway, Ayrshire, the birthplace of Robert Burns is an open air museum focusing on the poet’s life and the countryside which inspired him.

Well worth a visit.

We know that the price of imported supplies for thatching has recently increased, when these costs have been fairly static for years.  For example, Water reed has gone up in price by approximately 30p per bundle.

Is this due to Brexit?, value of the pound?, material price?, labour costs?, fuel costs? or something else?

Other imported supplies, include, steel rod, screws and wires, twisted spars, wire netting, fireboards and tools.

What is your experience?

Butser Ancient Farm

This fascinating open air ancient farm is ‘A unique experimental archaelogical site and an interesting day out, nestled into the rolling South Downs National Park’

Not surprisingly, when you think how long thatch has been used as a roofing material, there are some great thatched buildings to see.  Above is a picture of the new Saxon house which recently made the Guardian paper due to the barn owl which visits.

More pictures and information on Butser on our website.

We are not sure if the number of roofs being attacked by birds is increasing or just the number of calls we are getting.  There are various reasons it may be happening and no one option on fixing this tricky problem.

Our pest control Associates have been busy with enquiries.

We will let you know more when we can but in the meantime, a recent call mentioned that a plastic snake on the roof helped deter birds for a while.

Surely worth a try?

We would love to hear from you if you have any hints or solutions which we can share to help others.

Remember if you have birds on your roof – you don’t want them nesting in your chimneys!!

We continue to remind you on social media about testing your alarms, both Smoke and Carbon Monoxide.  It is so important that your alarms work so we are happy to promote this great initiative with the Fire Services and other like minded organisations.

Using various methods to test our alarms, included Elvis the Elf – and his friend Buddy.  We would love you to join us in spreading the #TestitTuesday #Presstotest important message and if you send us pictures of you testing yours we will share that with our thatch friends and followers to get the reminders out to as many people as possible.

A good New Year Resolution which is simple to keep!

We won’t be sat in the garden for too long as we have a lot on our agenda, but there is something special about thatched cottages and lovely gardens.

Hmmm  thinking of another picture competition – gardens and thatch? What do you think?

We are pleased that others have copied our ideas eg in promoting the fire safety message etc but are disappointed at use of our photographs without the courtesy of asking.  Happy for our (now copyrighted) pictures and videos to be used by those who ask and give us credit, as we do for all of our friends who contribute.  Passing off when we should be working together makes us wonder why they can’t produce their own work!  Proves we must be doing something right!

Please Ask don’t just copy and lets work together.

Next newsletter – Autumn 2017

Update from previous Newsletters
Thatch Tale
Roofs decaying
Thatch Partners
Competition winner
(Pub, Hotel, B&B or Business)
Chimney fires – update
Famous Thatch
Thatch Advice Centre Associates
and  more…..