in hampshire - traditional thatch · vernacular building styles, ... base layers of thatch beneath...

I N H A M P S H I R E

SummaryHow to maintain thatching traditions hasbeen a persistent problem since modernfarm practices were introduced inthe 20th century.The traditional deep,multi-layered straw roofs ofHampshire are threatenedby new materials,techniques andenvironmental demands.

Modern farming practicehas changed the traditionalrelationship between farmersand thatchers, and with it thesupply of materials and the stylesof thatching familiar to manygenerations of thatching families.These changes have led to significantlosses of historic thatched roofs. Changesin our climate – with hotter summers andwetter and windier winters – are newthreats to thatched buildings, in addition totheir old enemy, fire. In an increasinglydemanding environment, supplies ofdurable thatching materials and skills aremore critical than ever.

The survival of a rural straw-thatchingtradition in England, south of a line roughly

between the Severn and the Wash, deservesrecognition nationally and internationally.Villages rich in multi-layered thatch, as inparts of Hampshire, are exceptionallyimportant but depend for survival on anawareness and understanding of their valueand of their vulnerability to degradation andloss.

2 T H A T C H I N H A M P S H I R E ; S U S T A I N I N G A T R A D I T I O N

3

4

8

11

13

15

Thatched buildings (listed & unlisted)1970 records14% listed structures

Urban areas

Front cover & above:Hensting FarmOwlesbury, 15caisled barn.Re- thatched in longstraw with grant-aidfrom CountrysideStewardship Scheme,(of DEFRA).

Introduction

Thatching traditions

Characteristics of thatching materials Long strawCombed wheat reedWater reed

Sustainability

Conservation history and practice

Pilot survey of thatch in the Test Valley

Changes to Thatched Roofs and listed

building control

Maintenance and repair

The future of thatching

Glossary of thatching termsSources of informationUseful contactsGlossary of thatching terms

Page No

16

18

20

22

IntroductionThe rich thatching heritage of Hampshire isvisible throughout its villages. The history ofthe craft is recorded in the photographicarchive and may still be seen on the oldroofs of a wide variety of timber-framedmedieval halls, houses, pubs, agriculturalbuildings, cob cottages and cob boundarywalls. Thatched roofs form part of the localvernacular building styles, whether theseuse plastered or limewashed walls, coband timber-framing, or masonry of flintwith brick banding. The County Council’ssupport of long-straw thatching hashelped to encourage skilled thatchers inthe county to preserve a multi-layeringtradition dating back many centuries.

The craftsmanship that produces athatched roof gives a timeless quality whichis irreplaceable, but there are problemswith maintaining old thatched roofs. Stylesonce adopted by generations of thatchingfamilies, and used consistently throughoutthe areas they worked in, now vary withinvillages and estates as thatchers are nolonger confined to specific territories.As a farm-produced, biodegradable,hand-crafted material, thatch can serveas an ideal contemporary sustainable

building material. Thatching traditionsare currently challenged, however, byconflicting perceptions of the aestheticappearance of thatch, the demandingmaintenance requirements of a durable,hand-crafted roof, and the need to preservethe character and appearance of historicbuildings and areas.

The aim of “Thatch in Hampshire” is:

• to promote interest in and focusdiscussion on the issues and changing trends that influence our understanding of the character of historic thatched buildings and the contribution they maketo the landscape and their locality;

• to help people understand what is valuable in traditional thatching and the issues relating to current thatching practices, with the object of forging a consensus on the principles, practices and actions needed to sustain traditional thatching in the county. This understanding needs to be shared by district planning authorities, owners and their agents, the thatching industry and farmers.

T H A T C H I N H A M P S H I R E ; S U S T A I N I N G A T R A D I T I O N 3

Left: Combination thatch,Bridge Cottage at Quarley

North slope in long straw.

West slope in combedwheat reed.

T h a t c h i n g

As written accounts of the history ofthatching are not readily available, currentthatching practices can best be understoodin the context of major developments inagricultural history before and after theonset of mechanisation. The practice ofthatching roofs dates back to ancient timeswhen many varieties of vegetation wereused as roof coverings, including straw,reed, heather, bracken and turf. By thelate Iron Age, arable farming had becomecommonplace and cereal crops forthatching would have been availablealongside water reed and plants from moor and heath lands. An example of a

reconstructed Iron Age thatchedroundhouse can be seen at Butser’sAncient Farm near Petersfield.

After the collapse of Roman rule the rangeof thatching materials increased, as theSaxons brought their bread wheats and rye,favoured for bread and beermaking, fromthe reed-bearing coastal lowlands ofmainland Europe. The ancestry ofwheat varieties such as Marisand Squarehead, used todayfor English thatching, can betraced to this period (Letts,1999). As in earlier periods,


Below: Raking off the excess thatch,fishing hut, River Test.

Above: Thatchersworking on long

straw at Romsey

Above first: Row oflong straw cottages

fronting ChurchStreet, St Mary

Bourne. A view largelyunchanged today.

Second: Traditionalthatch wall cappingon estate wall near

Basingstoke.

a variety of plant materials would have beenused for Saxon buildings, depending onwhat was available.

Thatch was widely used in Hampshire inmedieval times, and well into the Tudorperiod it was the commonest type of roofingmaterial for all but the highest-statusbuildings. Thatching materials variedaccording to availability: straw from inlandcereal crops, reed in coastal areas andriver valleys, and heather in the New Forestheathlands. The same principles ofdomestic planning applied in small andlarger houses. Communal living spacesfocused on open central hearths, withventilation through smoke holes or louvresbuilt into the roof. Freely circulating smokeblackened the underside of the roof timbersand thatch roof covering that formed abase for subsequent layers of thatch.In Hampshire this sooting of the thatchunderlayers would have continued wellinto the transitional period from the 1470sto the 1560s, when houses were still beingbuilt with open halls (Roberts, 2003).

As landowners prospered from the wooltrade, housing improved. Floors wereinserted in open halls and chimney stackswere added, concealing smoke-blackenedbase layers of thatch beneath plasterceilings. Fires were very common inHampshire, and this discouragedfurther use of thatch in towns.

However, thatch was more economical andstill widely used on smaller rural houses,whose less robust roof structures wereunsuitable for heavier coverings. Someexamples of the types of roofing structuresrecorded on the earliest thatched buildingsthat have survived in Hampshire havebeen dated by dendrochronology to the14th century (Roberts, 2003). Seven per centof the 211 thatched roofs surveyed recentlyin the Test Valley may have early, if notsmoke-blackened, base layers.

The second half of the 18th centurybrought major changes to rural areasand in Hampshire an emphasis on thecultivation of arable crops, especially ondownland pasture. The patenting ofMiekle’s mechanical thresher in 1796and the introduction of the horse-drawnreaper-binder made the production of straw for thatching more mechanisedand efficient. The use of the thresherbrought the term “long straw” intowidespread use. It refers to the longeststraw left at the rear of the thresher, foruse as thatch. The straw produced bythreshing was clean, of uniform quality,largely uncrushed and sufficient toestablish the long-straw style as thedominant type used throughout thecentury in all southern counties outsidethe West Country.


The collapse of wheat prices after theCrimean War caused the first of theagricultural depressions that would oftenoccur in the 19th century, affecting theavailability of wheat supplies for thatching.The Farm Labourers’ Revolt of 1830 was

largely due to the unemployment causedby the use of the fixed threshing machine,though the machines did not change thebasic harvesting methods or field patterns.In 1850 complaints about the state offarming in Hampshire pointed to thelack of threshing machines and over-reliance on expensive labour. Despitethe introduction of the horse-drawnreaper-binder and thresher, they were notwidely used in Hampshire until after 1880(Hughes, 1984). The introduction of a strawcomber attachment fixed to the top of thethresher in the late 19th century increasedthe speed of producing reed straw bycleaning and stripping the straw of leavesand grain and aligning the butt-ends.


Below: Norfolk reedthatching at Bishopswood,

the Bishop ofPortsmouth’s Palace,

Fareham, 1936.

Right: Reconstructedround-house, c300BC

with five tonnes ofwheat reed and 200

trees. Butser AncientFarm, near Petersfield

(Photo courtesy ofBruce Howard).

However, use of the comberattachment was largely restrictedto the West Country until at leastthe years between 1918 and 1939.While sheep husbandry and milkproduction improved, wheat declinedby 30,000 acres. The efficienciesof mechanisation could not softenthe harsh economic climate. Thedepression of 1893 led the RoyalCommission on Agriculture to reportthat “the old pride which in bygonedays farmers took in preparingtheir land for wheat in thistypical wheat-growing area hasdisappeared” (Fussell, 1952).

By the 1930s the older varieties ofwheat were suffering from hybridbreeding, and stems were becoming

shorter and more brittle. Combine har-vesters could not produce straw for

thatching and intensive labour wasnot always available to stook,

collect and feed the thresher.The varieties of shorter-

length straw suitable forthe combine harvesterwere not suitable forthatching. Thatcherswere encouraged bythe government todevelop othermaterials to usein place ofraditionallongstraw.

Commercial East Anglian thatchingfirms began promoting water reedin traditional straw-growing areas,even after specialist strawgrowers began to improve theseed stocks and quality ofstraw growing.

The “invasion” ,of Norfolk reedwas noted in Hampshire’s localpress in 1950 and was attributedto the Rural Industries Bureauemploying a Norfolk reed thatcher.Water-reed work was also supportedby the comercial harvesting of reedbeds at Keyhaven, Lymington, Tottonand Christchurch from the late 1950s.


Here was I, Frank Weston; Parish Clerk &Sexton, bell-master, thatcher-in-straw, reed orheather, haytier, land measurer, water- diviner,gravedigger, hurdle-maker, with soundconnections and a secure income. I felt myfew years burden with him towards the endwas little enough for me to suffer for thesegood things which had been given to methrough the love my father bore me.

Norman Goodland, My Father Before Me, Hutchinson, 1953.

““

Left: R.E. Clarke,Hampshire thatcher &

Rural Thatching Officer,Southern Region, RuralIndustries Bureau.

Right:“Good thatch ismade on the ground”

yealming at PoplarFarm, Longstock.

Above: Long strawverge finished withcross-rods, Cheriton.

Above 9 monthold long straw,

Manor Farm, Ibthorpe.

Second: Long strawdormer window,

Lime Cottage.


Cha rac te r i s t i cs o f Tha tch ing

The three methods of thatching used todayare long straw, combed wheat reed andwater reed. The methods and variations aredescribed in detail in the The Thatcher’s

Craft (Rural Industries Bureau, 1961).The Rural Industries Bureau wasresponsible to the Government formodernising thatching by turning it intoa commercial enterprise and was notparticularly concerned with preservinghistoric roofs, though it was well awareof the “loss of the familiar wheat strawthat had been characteristic of thatchingin Hampshire, Dorset and Devon”.

A survey by the Rural Industries Bureau in1965 revealed that of the 68 thatchers listedin Hampshire just over half were trained towork in combed wheat, 24 could work inwater reed and all could work in longstraw. In a report on the survey, Hampshirewas identified as one of the counties whereproperty owners and thatchers thoughtmainly in terms of long-straw thatching andrelied on local farmers for supplies of goodstraw (Cox & Letts, 2000). Today some strawis grown for thatching as a specialist cropin the New Forest and Test Valley but themajority is brought in from other countiessuch as Devon, while most of the waterreed is brought in from Turkey, Hungary,France and, in the case of Veldt Grass,from as far afield as South Africa.

Long straw Long-straw thatch is distinguished by itscoarse texture, mixed ears and butts andexposed stem lengths, which result fromthe traditional two-stage process of carefulground preparation and the way thematerial is bedded on the roof. The practiceand terminology used in North Hampshirewas recorded by Norman Goodland, ofthe Frank West family of thatchers,in Country Life (26 October 1960).A rectangular bed straw is made up on theground. This allows the thatcher to wet thestraw bed evenly (essential for making thestraw workable), to draw the straw first intoa line, then collect it into hellums, yealmsor holms, depending on local terminology.These bundles, of 18 inches (450mm)across by 3 inches (75mm) thick, are thencarried onto the roof. Most of the thatchingwork with long straw involves stripping offthe outer surface of decayed straw to asound base, then fixing the fresh strawonto the old base layers. The stripping ofdecayed matter must be done carefully toachieve the best pitch and to prevent anexcessive weight of thatch building up.

The characteristic appearance of long-strawroofs comes from the way the straw lies in ashaggy, rough mat, which wraps itself likea soft, thick blanket and curves aroundcorners and valleys (the angle between

roof slopes), sweepingover dormer and eyebrowwindows. By comparisonto the two other commonmethods, the straw is laidand cut into place, notpushed and packed with aleggett. Eaves and gables are normallysecured against potential wind damage withexposed liggers, giving the appearance of astitched quilt. Ridges are normally of a sim-ple wrap-over style, flush with the roofslopes and sometimes decorated with crossspars. Ears of the grain are visible, so net-ting has been used in more recent times toinhibit birds and rodents from burrowing inthe thatch.

Combed wheat-reed The combed wheat reed tradition derivesmainly from the wetter climates of the WestCountry and uses what is commonly calledDevon reed. Wheat-reed practice is similarto water reed in the way the material isfitted, but uses straw materials from thesame family of plants as those used for longstraw. As in the past, wheat reeds are stillproduced by a comber attachment fitted tothe top of a threshing drum. The comberthreshes ears from the wheat grain and thestems emerge, ideally with all the buttsuncrushed though there is likely to be some

distortion. The wheat reed is then buttedtogether into wads and bundled. Thedifference between long straw and wheatreed lies in the use of the leggett (a woodenbat) for the final pushing and packing of thebutt ends of the reed straw into therequired shape, though in addition theeaves are generally cut to shape.

The overall appearance of a newly laidtraditional wheat-reed roof is characterisedby thinner, sharper planes, edges andangles than long straw. The texture iscreated by the butt-ends of uniform,tightly packed quills of straw that pointdown towards the eaves or edge ofthe roof. Ridge designs traditionallyhave flush butt-up or wrap-over ridges.Combed wheat roofs are likely to have awire mesh covering. Older, weatheredcombed-wheat roofs will have softer,rounder lines where they are composedof layers of straw built up slowly overdecades (or centuries in some cases).


Flush wrapover ridge,cross rods fitted toany pattern.

Shaggy texture fromexposed strawlengths laid withbutts and ears inopposite direction.

Liggers sparredvertically up theverge of thehalf hip.

Eyebrow dormerwindow finishedwith liggers

Deep eavesfinished withl iggers toprevent wind l i f t

Dormer windowsslightly archedwith strawwrapped aroundthe cheeks

Hampshire long-straw thatch characteristics

Above: New combedwheat reed sparred

on, HurstbourneTarrant.

Second: Combedwheat reed,

Quarley.

Above left: AustinsCross Cottage inc.1930, in traditionallong straw roofand right howthe Cottage lookstoday in combedwheat-reed,King Somborne.

(Photo courtesy KingSomborne & DistrictHistorical Society,(c.1930).

Water-reed The water-reed tradition originated inNorfolk, where reed beds were extensive,although water reed was once harvested forthatching in other parts of the country andin coastal estuaries in Hampshire. TheNorfolk reed varies in height from 3-8 feet(1-2.5m) with a brown feathery seed head,and needs to be of very high quality forthatching. The ancient industry of reed andsedge cutting for thatching is still fairlystrong in Norfolk, where reed production ismanaged in accordance with ecologicalprinciples. Because the demands forthatching material in the UK exceed thesupplies available from home production,reeds have had to be imported from Turkey,Hungary, France and other sourcessince the 1950s.

Water reed is stiffer and stronger than strawand is always beaten or dressed into placeby using a leggett, rather than being cut.The result is a flatter, more angularappearance with sharper corners thanwith the other materials, with the tubularreeds giving a bristly, textured surface.In Hampshire the ridges of water reedroofs are normally formed of long straw.

In many cases, water reed must be fittedto a flat surface, and this can result in thestripping out and destruction of all oldlayers of thatch and historic timbers tosecure a firm base for the metal fixings.Water reed is difficult to apply to historicroofs and may look very different fromtraditionally thatching nearby.


Above: Block patterned ridgein straw on water reed,Cowleaze Cottages,Longparish.

Right main picture: Buttendsof water reed.

Below: This lodge at Totton is a good example of traditional useof water reed thatch, supported by rustic tree-trunk posts, in thePicturesque style of the early 19th century.

The longevity of thatch materials and thesustainability of thatching practices dependon the quality of supplies, workmanship,maintenance and the roof’s history, designand microclimate. Thatching practices andmaterial supplies have changed drasticallysince The Thatcher’s Craft suggested lifeexpectancies of 50-60 years for water-reed,25-40 years for combed wheat-reed and10-20 years for long-straw. As a general rulegood-quality thatch of any of the three mainmaterials will last 25-35 years, dependingon the variables listed above. However, allthree materials have been known to failwithin a decade as decay can be acceleratedby the use of poor quality materials appliedincorrectly.

Experience has shown that it is importantto look into specific site conditions and getadvice from those working in the area withknowledge of the history of thatch workbefore quoting general rules on durability.Common biodegrading organisms canlodge in the thatch, such as soilmicroflora or deposits from prevailingwinds, overhanging trees, farmyards,birds and other wildlife.

The key to straw failure lies in the waythese organisms and deposits interactand, with the design of the thatch,affect the way water is held, driven off orevaporated from all roof slopes. Asa general rule, the roof most likely to decayfirst is the one subject to the most extremechanges in temperature. The rate of thatchdecay is a complex and controversial issuethat often focuses on poor quality supplies.Adequate records on the source and natureof the materials used, and on subsequentwork to the thatch, should be kept with theproperty; otherwise the underlying reasonfor unusual or premature decay maynot be obvious.

Today thatching materialsare no longer producedsimply as a by-productof farming practices.Some thatchers alsoact as agents fora wide rangeof UK andimportedmaterials.


T h a t c h i n g

The nature of imported material is lessfamiliar than that of UK-sourced materials.Thatching materials imported from France,Poland, Turkey and, in the case of Veldtgrass, South Africa, are now used for alltypes of thatching in place of materialsthat in the past would have been harvestedlocally, despite the extra transport costsof importing them.

Poor harvests from bad weather, labourdemands and antiquated equipment candeter English landowners from producingquality straw to meet current marketdemands for thatching.

Thatchers, with suppliers of thatchingmaterials, can contribute to reducingdetrimental environmental effects inthe countryside. The revival of local orregional cultivation and the sourcingof English straw, water-reed beds and

woodland products for use in thatchingcould all offer benefits in reducing transport, improving biodiversity,saving wildlife habitats and historiclandscapes, and strengthening therural economy.


Below left : Thatch durability can bemonitored where records are kept.

Half-hipped 17th centurytimber-frame cottage, Breamore

Estate, near Fordingbridge,grant-aided long straw, 1995.

Above: Threshing at Braishfield.

After reaping strawstooks left to dry.Braishfield.

My father took on what he called GrandpaWeston’s round. Fred took Rams Valley, Carter’sLey & Rheuban’s Close & I had to contendmyself with Red Moor, Ashdown, Aldertown& Highcastle

Norman Goodland, My Father Before Me, Hutchinson, 1953.

“ “

After World War II home improvement loansencouraged local authorities to replacethatched roofs with other materials. Warshortages meant that corrugated iron andasbestos were used widely, in place ofthatch, on agricultural buildings.The decline of the craft of thatching andhow to ensure its survival was a problemthe Rural Industries Bureau had recognisedbefore the aesthetics of replacing thatchwith modern materials became an issue.From 1940 the two main straw-thatchingtraditions had become blurred, as thebureau was training thatchers to use allthree methods but mainly to favourcombed wheat reed over long straw. Asfarmers began to command higher pricesfor combed wheat reed the more labourintensive long straw method graduallyfell out of favour.

The re-surveys of the early 1980ssignificantly increased the number ofthatched buildings on the statutory Listsof Buildings of Special Architecturalor Historic Interest. Listing status

protects the entire exterior and interiorfrom alterations damaging to the buildings’historic fabric and character. Except inrare cases, the list descriptions identifiedroofing materials as thatch without notingany particulars such as the style of thethatch or any evidence of smoke blacken-ing. The Department of theEnvironment’s Circular 8 of 1987encouraged the restoration of thatchthat had survived under later claddingand the preservation of all existing thatchedroofs. Building conservation guidancewas difficult to apply as it did not addressthe issue of how to restore “like for like”on historic thatched roofcoverings which had beenaltered post-1945 orheavily restored by well-intentioned owners.


C o n s e r v a t i o n

Above: Smoke-blackenedthatch, timbers andwattle panel, in roofspace.Goodworth Clatford.

In 1990 the County Planning Officerreported on the decline in the use ofgrants for thatching with long straw.Premature straw decay, shortages ofsuitable supplies and higher costs werecited as the reason for the decline inthe use of long straw. The result hadbeen a change in the appearance ofHampshire’s traditional thatched roofs.The Council agreed a policy to grant-aidthe use of long straw exclusively, tosupport the repair and maintenanceof remaining long-straw roofs and toencourage the retention of thenecessary thatching skills

In 1993 a national survey found thatsome southern counties had lost all ornearly all their ancient thatched roofs.Where samples of early thatch layerswere found surviving in smoke-blackenedlayers, they contained well-preservedsamples of medieval plant life and weretherefore important to the understandingof early agriculture and roofing techniques.One 15th-century roof, sampled in KingsSomborne as part of the nationwidesurvey of early smoke-blackened roofs,included rare specimens of bread wheatand rye on the base layers of the thatch(Letts1999). The loss of ancient thatchedroofs prompted English Heritage toundertake more research into the historyand current trends in thatching to serveas the basis for understanding the craftand its history.


Above: TraditionalNew Forest roofs

remain distinctivewith eaves low

to the ground, atRockbourne.

Below: A wide varination of thatchingstyles at Rockbourne.


The Test Valley has more listedthatched buildings than any otherdistrict in Hampshire. Test ValleyBorough Council, in cooperation withHampshire County Council, initiateda pilot survey of thatch to collectinformation. This would informplanning decisions, Listed Building andConservation Area policies and advice,

and enable the council to target grant-aidgiven to property owners. Under a third ofthe district’s 735 thatched roofs (211 sites)were surveyed in thatch-rich ConservationAreas. The survey revealed a picture of abuilding craft in transition, with evidence ofsome early, multi-layered thatches and localvariations using the three main materialsindividually and in various combinations.

Areas such as Kings Somborne, Leckfordand Hurstborne Tarrant have distinctivelocal styles based on the way the thatch islaid, the treatment of dormer windows, hips,ridges and porches. Some good examplesof typical Hampshire long straw, referred toin some thatching publications, were found

in the north and central Test Valley, on roofswith very simple lines, a shaggy texture,unpunctuated slopes, deep-set eaves andsquared-off corners. In Kings Somborne,for example, combed wheat reed hasbeen laid as a topcoat over some oldmulti-layered roofs.

The majority of long-straw roofs identifiedin the survey are concentrated in theIbthorpe and King Somborne ConservationAreas, which have also benefited by thework grant-aided by the County Councilsince 1990. The Hurstborne Ibthorpearea has some large farm buildingsthat have been restored with grant aid.The large barn roofs contribute to therural character of the HampshireDowns Area of OutstandingNatural Beauty.

Above: Righthouse grant-aidedlongstraw, lefthouse combedwheat reed,HurstbourneTarrant.

Above: Two distinctthatching styles

showing weatheredcombed wheat with ablock patterned ridge

and new longstraw onright with a twistedknot ridge, Ibthorpe.

Pi lot sur vey o f

The quality and unique character of olderand recently renewed long-straw roofs inthe surveyed areas are evidence of thecombined benefits and value of grant aid,the conservation advice given to ownersand the quality of long-straw thatchingcurrently practiced in the county.

The initial survey results from the richestthatch district in the county reveal acomplex picture of the nature of thatchingmaterials in current use. While combed wheat reed is the dominant material for

top coats on thatch, it is sometimes laid toimitate the long-straw style on many olderroofs. The number of long-straw roofsremaining is low and comprises 18 % ofthe total surveyed. The survey discovered,however, that at least a third of the roofshad evidence visible from the exterior ofold layers of thatch under newer coatsof combed wheat, bringing the numberof older roofs and roofs remaining in longstraw up to almost half the total surveyed.


Local planning authorities can use variousinitiatives to recognise, protect andmaintain historic thatched buildings.The work of repairing long-straw thatchedbuildings has been grant-aided by theCounty Council, sometimes in partnershipwith local district councils, DEFRA and EH.Recognition and maintenance of traditionalthatching styles can be encouraged inlandscape character assessments,Conservation Area appraisals and VillageDesign Statements. Unlisted thatchedbuildings may be included in local lists anddatabases when they are at risk, are goodexamples of the craft, or are of localimportance and worthy of conservation.

Planning Policy Guidance 15, Planningand the Historic Environment, sets thelegal framework for reviewing work to listed

thatched buildings instating that “thatchedroofs should be preserved, and consentshould not be given for their replacement bydifferent roof coverings. Where medievalthatch survives with characteristic smokeblackening on the underside it should beretained in situ and overlaid. When roofsare re-thatched, this should normally bedone in a form of thatch traditional to theregion, and local ways of detailing eaves,ridges and verges should be followed”(Annex C29).

In 2000 English Heritage (EH) set out insome detail the conservation principlesand recommended practice for localplanning authorities when reviewing worksto listed thatched buildings, in “Thatchand Thatching: A Guidance Note”.

Changes to thatched roofs &

Above: Combed wheatreed with a plainblock ridge, Banktreefarmhouse, Ibthorpe.


The guidance sets out the types ofthatching work that require listed buildingconsent, with the categories of informationuseful for understanding traditional styles,methods and materials.

Listed building consentIn considering applications for listedbuilding consent, the local planningauthority assesses each case on its meritswhile having regard for local thatchingtraditions. These traditions generallydetermine the selection of materials, stylesand ridge designs, whether there is still adiscernible pattern or perhaps only a fewrare surviving roofing types in an area.The EH guidance recommends that achange of thatching materials requiresconsent, whether proposing to changefrom long straw to combed wheat reed orthe reverse. Similarly, it recommends thatchanges from straw materials to waterreed should be subject to listed buildingconsent. The planning authority may refusethe change from straw to water reed materi-als if good arguments for it are not made.

Re-thatching by replacing the decayed topcoat of an old thatch with fresh materialusing the same method as the existingthatch is considered a repair and will notnormally require formal consent though itmay be worth consulting the local authorityfor advice. The renewal of topcoats doesnot normally disturb historic base layers.Where the thatch roof has deep multilayersthe base layers should not be removedwithout listed building consent. Traditionalthatching methods are encouraged in caseswhere the thatched roofs of terraces orcourtyards, such as the roofs on farmbuildings, need renewing.

The aim is to maintain a uniform style andappearance. Changes to the roof form andstructure of a listed building normallyrequire listed building consent. Structuralalterations such as the addition of newdormer windows and repair of timbers mayalter the historic character of the roof andneed careful planning with a conservationofficer and thatcher.

In practice the history of the building fabric,with local traditions and environmentalconditions, may dictate the materials andmethods used or the final externalappearance of the roof. In all cases theneed for listed building consent normallydepends on the effect of the re-thatchingon the character and appearance that givethe building its special architectural or historic interest. Local historical societiesand collections should be consulted forarchival photographs, records and mapswhich may show the past appearance ofthe roof and surrounding area.

One of the most distinctive visual elementsof a thatched roof is the ridge. HampshireCounty Council’s photographic archive andhistory of grant-aided work show that thetraditional style of ridges used across thecounty on thatched roofs was a simple,wrap-over ridge flush with the main roofslopes and secured with liggers and rodslaid in a pattern that the thatcher recom-mended to suit the work. Ridge designsshould respect the character, scale andproportions of the building and thetraditional designs used locally. Wherethe changes proposed for ridge designsvary from the tradition of using simpleplain, wrap-over roofs, listed buildingconsent is normally required.

Above left: A Historic thatch, DublinFarm, Wherwell. Below: historic timberframing cartshed, Dublin Farm.

Regular maintenance of thatchedroofs is essential to keep water fromsaturating the thatch. Overhanging trees,excessive rainfall, and being near a watersource can all make it difficult for thethatch to dry out. A normal repair for a longstraw roof is to replenish the top coat ofstraw after removing any decayed thatch.The old roof is prepared by having a sound,even base of thatch bedded in with freshlyprepared straw. When repairs are done thetreatment of verges, eaves and windowopenings should enhance and complementthe character of the building. The removalof old straw material, adding of new materialand decorating in a way that maintains anundulating thatch-line, should all be donewithout adding unduly to the weight of thethatch. The overall shape of the roof shouldhave the materials lying as flat as possibleto aid in shedding water though this willdepend on the degree of pitch achieved inpreparing the surface. It is not alwaysessential to strip out eaves or the gableswhen sparring on new coats of thatch.A Thatchers’ Association standard forHampshire requires a compact strawcoat of 10 inches (250mm) thickness when re-thatching though many thatching

specifications require 12 inches (300mm). This type of work was traditionally the main work of thatchers, as laying entirely newroofs was rare.

Ridges normally need renewing at 7-10 yearintervals though this depends on the qualityof the ridge work and exposure.

Spot patching, which may be needed ifpatchy decay has occurred, quicklyweathers to match the surroundingmaterial. Visible fixings, slippage, wetpatches, excessive mould anddepressions in the ridge can indicate decay.A Thatchers’ Association standard forthe minimum thickness of thatchmaterial over fixings is at least 5inches (125mm)

Timber frames.Some of theearliest recordedthatched roofs inHampshire haveunique timber-frame


M a i n t e n a n c e

Above: Bundle ofhazel spars.

Hampshire hassome of the besthazel coppice in

the country.

structures, such as cruck frames, polerafters and other structures typical of his-toric construction techniques. Old timberroofs may require in situ repairs, by match-ing in new timber sections using traditionaljoinery techniques. Wholesale replacementof timber structures is seldom necessaryand would have to be fully justified.In all cases the history of the building fabric,the proximity of other historic thatchedroofs, local environmental conditions andexposure should dictate the materials,methods and style that are used and theexternal appearance of the roof.

Eaves that become damaged by birds maybe easily inspected if they are close to theground. Work with ladders is best left tothatchers as they must be placed verycarefully to avoid damage.

Fire risk is considered to be higher forthatched properties though it has beenconsiderably reduced due to improvedawareness of safety standards. There arenow specialist insurers who may have lowerrates than standard insurance companies.Thatched buildings should be insured fortheir full rebuilding cost. Specialist insurersof thatch and thatchers can offer guidanceon the best preventative approaches to take.Basically, they will recommend firstly thateasily removable wire nets are fitted, asthatch needs to be pulled off quickly if firesoccur. Secondly, they will advise on theheight and condition of chimney stacks.For new thatched-homes there is a recom-mended distance of 1.8m between the flueoutlet and thatched ridge. This standard is

not practicable for old buildings but therelationship of the stack to the thatchshould not be overlooked. In the pilotsurvey of thatched properties in the TestValley, many of the chimney stacks wereconsidered inadequate. Past practice whengrant-aiding has been to ensure a minimumdistance of 0.8m between the outlet andthatch ridge. Attempts to heighten themasonry of historic chimneys need carefulthought as they will add to the weight andcould undermine the roof structure.

Energy-efficient wood burning stovesburn much hotter than open fires and arenow recommended for use with a verticallining separating the chimney shaft fromthe thatch. Spark arrestors, which candetract from the appearance of a thatchedroof, may be difficult to keep clean and arenot a substitute for a properly maintainedchimney. All chimney masonry should beinspected when re-thatching to ensure anyopen joints are filled and flashings are notdefective. A feebly hydraulic lime mortar(with no cement additive) is flexible andpermeable and appropriate for most typesof historic masonry. Lead flashings carefullychased into the chimney masonry provide amore permanent weathering between thethatch and the chimney and are generally tobe recommended. Lime mortar fillets offermore temporary weathering and are morelikely to fail. A mortar fillet is best usedonly where the masonry is weak and it’sinadvisable to interfere with the stackor where the line of the thatch mayvary significantly. Electricians,plumbers, painters and generalbuilders all need to take special carewhen working around thatched roofs,especially if using hot equipment.

Regular inspections are advisableand work should be planned well inadvance, as poor weather and short-ages of the best thatching suppliescan hinder a thatcher’s work.

Record keeping is essential whetherthe building is listed or unlisted, tokeep track of the types of materialsused (and their source) and the workdone or proposed.


Above top: Excessive mosscover will hold moisture

against the thatch,Longstock.

Above: The slope of thisbarn roof is in need

of repair as fixings arevisible well above the

straw and thatch isworn and compacted,

Alresford.

Below: A traditional patchrepair will extend the life ofthe thatch, St Mary Bourne.


The benefits of maintaining the thatchedroofs and straw-thatching traditions ofHampshire extend beyond aesthetics. Asthe traditional roof covering of small housesand cottages, agricultural buildings andwall-tops, thatch makes an essentialcontribution to the distinctive character ofthe county’s villages and landscape. Thereis clearly more work to be done in definingthis distinctiveness and understanding thehistory of traditional thatched buildings, ingathering evidence on the local styles andmaterial types found on roofs throughoutthe county.

The issues surrounding sustainable sourcesof durable thatching materials are complexand varied, and merit a better understand-ing of durability, and more monitoring ofmaterials and conditions to assess theirperformance in a demanding and changingclimate. Investment and support would

allow the range of regional thatchingmaterials to expand to meet marketdemands, and would encourage moresustainable thatching practices. Incentivesfor growing organic straw for thatchingwould give farmers or landowners anopportunity to diversify, to improve outdatedtechnology and assist in crop research.Increasing the availability of good qualitymaterials is becoming essential to the survivalof traditional straw thatching. Growing strawfor thatch could meet several of the aims ofsustainable business by assisting in thedevelopment of organically grown Englishplant varieties, by providing traditionalroofing materials for historic buildings,and by maintaining historic agriculturallandscapes. Revitalising the managementof local water reed-beds and woodlandproducts to supply the thatching industrywould also benefit nature conservation.

T h e f u t u r e

Above: Straw growingfor thatch, New Forest

Consensus is needed on ways ofimplementing the recommended nationalguidance more fully, if the legislativeframework is to succeed in protectinghistoric thatched roofs across the county.The challenge is to develop a framework,grounded in the knowledge of localtraditions, for protecting and maintaininghistoric thatch and to encourage and

support more sustainable thatchingpractices in demanding economic andenvironmental conditions. The value ofretaining the thatching traditions in thecounty will ultimately have to be upheldthrough the goodwill and cooperation of allthose who cherish them and appreciatetheir international significance beyond thecounty border.


Below: Reaping the wheat ona 7 foot reaper-binder,International Harvester of1942 and a Allis-ChalmersModel B, 1939 tractor.Ivor Brown and Mark Holloway(on tractor) Conservators,Hampshire Museum Service.

10 Glossary of thatching terms

Barge or verge: The finished edge ofthatch overhanging the gable. Also knownas the brow or gable.

Butt-up ridge: More common in the WestCountry. This method fixes the butt endspointing up to the apex of the roof withthe butts of the more exposed slopebeing slightly higher than those onthe other slope.

Cob: Generally refers to buildings andboundary walls constructed with variousearth-extracted materials, mainly clay andchalk or mixtures of both in Hampshire.The walls are often rendered with early19th-century patented cements.

Combed wheat reed: Thatching straw,threshed to remove the grain, leaves andweeds then processed through a reedcomber.

Crooks or hooks: Iron rods of variouslengths from 200 to 300 mm, pointed at oneend and rounded at the other. The thatchersecures the thatch to the roof by layingsways across the straw or reed, then usingcrooks to pin the sways to the rafters.

Cruck frames: One of three main types oftimber-frame structures with curved timbersforming the main trusses of the house andmain support for the roof.

Eyebrow window: Small window or eyelet,high in the wall, necessitating a curve of thethatched eave over it to keep it functional.

Hydraulic lime mortar: Traditional limeused for building was usually locally burnthydraulic lime, ie the lime had a high claycontent and would set in water. Hydrauliclimes are readily available and shouldbe mixed in 1 part to 2 parts sharp,well-graded sand.

Leggett: A wooden tool, also known as abat, beetle or dresser, used to push or drivecombed wheat and water reed into positionon the roof.

Lime mortar fillets: A band of hydrauliclime mortar used to protect junctionsbetween chimneys and thatch in situationswhere the finished line of the thatch is likelyto vary. Cement should not be used withtraditional masonry on thatch because ofits inability to accommodate movementwithout cracking.

Liggers: Long split rods 5 feet (1.5 m) inlength, pegged down by spars to secure anddecorate the exterior coat of thatch. Wintercut hazel is considered more durable andflexible than other materials (see spars andsways). Also know as ledgers.

Long straw: Threshed thatching straw,cut by a reaper-binder (not a combine-harvester), drawn into order by hand,formed into yealms (see below) and laid onthe roof with stem lengths and ears of grainexposed to give a soft, natural appearance.The straw is always raked and cut intoshape at eaves, around windows and atverges. In some cases the main coating istrimmed to achieve a close surface.

Pole rafters: Whole, straight, small treetrunks, found as main structural membersin 18th-century roof frames covered withthatch.

Smoke-blackened thatch (SBT): Cansurvive in open plan buildings, with latemedieval roofs up to the mid 17th century,in various forms depending on the regionalmaterials used. May be composed of abase coat of woven or stitched water-reed,tied to the roof rafters, encrusted with sootand dust up to several centimetres deep.New techniques are being developed todate the plant remains found in SBT.

Spars: Spar-making is a craft that varies inpractice from county to county. Split lengthsof hazel or willow are sharpened at bothends, twisted in the middle and bent for useas staples to secure new thatch to existingcoats, also to secure liggers on ridges.Shorter lengths were used on thatchedchalk wall tops.

Sways: Split or round rods made of hazelwillow or steel used with spars or ironcrooks to secure thatch over coats or torafters horizontally in parallel with the lineof the eaves.

Tilestones: Stone roofing tiles, not widelyused in Hampshire, originating mainly fromthe Purbeck area of Dorset.

Water reed: Wetland plant occurring incoastal and riverside marshland areas ofthe UK and the continent. Harvested byhand or mechanically, and bundled andgraded according to length and quality.Always pushed or driven into shape withthe use of a leggett.


Wrap-over ridge: Classic, simple, traditionalridge fits flush with the top course of thatchwith no cut patterns.

Yealm or hellum: A compact layer of strawhand drawn from a carefully prepared largerectangular wad or bed used for long-strawthatching.

Acknowledgements

John Townsend (Test Valley Borough Council). Steve Cleeve, James Webb.

Photographs:Hampshire County Museum Service.Rural History Centre, University of Reading.Back cover: Manor Farm, Longstraw,re-thatched with grant aid in 2003, Ibthorpe.

Further Reading

Dorset Fire & Rescue Service, Thatch, AGuide to Fire Safety in Thatched Dwellings,Bourne House, Langside Avenue, Poole,Dorset, 1999.

English Heritage. Thatch and Thatching; aguidance note, June 2000.

Goodland, Norman L., “The Craft ofThatching”, Country Life, October 27, 1960.

Hampshire County Planning Department,Hampshire’s Countryside Heritage, Manand the Landscape, 1984.

Hampshire County Council, Hazel Coppice,Past, Present and Future, 1995.

Letts, John B., Smoke Blackened Thatch, aunique source of late medieval plantremains from Southern England, EnglishHeritage & University of Reading, 1999.

Letts, John B. Thatching Straw: it’s history,production, quality and performance,Countryside Agency, draft 2004.

Moir, James & John Letts, Thatch,Thatching in England 1790-1940, EnglishHeritage, 1999.

Pearson, Gordon T., Conservation of Clay &Chalk Buildings, Donhead Publishing,Wimbledon, 1992.

Rural Industries Bureau, The Thatcher’sCraft, Wimbledon, 1961.

Roberts, Edward, Hampshire Houses1250-1700, Their Dating andDevelopment, Hampshire CountyCouncil, Winchester, 2003.

Society for the Protection of AncientBuildings, Technical Pamphlet 10, The Careand Repair of Thatched Roofs, 1986.

www.coppice-products.co.ukInformation on nationwide suppliers ofwoodland products related to thatching.

Useful Contacts

Department of Environment,Food and Rural AffairsEnvironmental StewardshipSchemeRural Development ServiceGovernment Buildings Coley Park,Reading RG1 6DTTel: 0118 9392349

English HeritageSouth East RegionEastgate Court195-205 High Street, GuildfordSurrey GU1 3EHTel: 01483 252000

Hampshire Fire & Rescue ServiceHeadquartersLeigh Road, EastleighHampshire SO50 9SJTel: 023 8064 4000www.hantsfire.gov.uk

Local Studies CollectionHampshire County CouncilLibrariesJewry StreetWinchester S023 8THTel: 01962 8627484

National Council of MasterThatchers’ Associations Foxhill, HillsideSouth BrentDevon TQ10 9AUTel: 07000 781909

National Society of MasterThatchers20, The LaurelsTetsworth, ThameOxford OX9 7BH Service

Rural History Centre Tel/Fax: 01844 281568

Society for the Protection ofAncient Buildings37 Spital SquareLondon E1 6DYTel: 020 7377 1644


Written by Margo Teasdalewith Archaeology and HistoricBuildings Team.

DESIGN 04 3707 CORPORATE GRAPHICS TEAM01962 813803

PRINTED BY HAMPSHIRE PRINTING SERVICESON CYCLUS OFFSET RECYCLED PAPER

Environment Department

I N H A M P S H I R E

in hampshire - traditional thatch · vernacular building styles, ... base layers of thatch beneath...

Documents