Nothing says "quintessential Cotswolds" like a stone cottage or a thatched roof. It's not uncommon to spot these on old cottages or buildings among the many villages of rural Britain. They are not only fun to see, but interesting in their histories as well.
In the video clip below, you'll see 3 people learning the art of thatching and you'll learn a little about the process yourself. There are less than 1,000 people who make their living as thatcher - far fewer than in the past, but more than I would have imagined. Many of them have learned the trade by skills passed down through the generations.
A newly thatched roof can cost anywhere from 10,000-30,000 British pounds, depending on size. That would be in the neighborhood of $16,000 - $48,000. Not cheap, but if you can imagine the amount of labor and craftsmanship that goes into making one, not surprising. Such a roof needs to be re-thatched about every 25 years.
Do take a few minutes to watch at least the first portion of this video where it talks about the layers of history preserved in the roof of the 800 year old farm house being re-thatched. Truly fascinating!
This is actually the second of a 4-part video series I found on youtube. I don't expect anyone to watch all 4, but this one will give you an idea of what's involved in thatching a roof. By the way, the video was filmed 30 minutes from Stow-on-the-Wold.
As a side note, we've seen thatched roofs on stone, stucco and brick homes.
Did you notice the phrases "archeological site" and "treasure trove" and
"microcosm of a medieval field"? It truly is amazing to think about!
Now that you hopefully have a little more appreciation for the amount of
skill, craftsmanship and plain hard work that goes into thatching a
roof, I hope you'll enjoy some of the photos I've snapped on our
outings.
Alderton, a small village west of Stow
"buttie" is basically a french fry sandwich
notice this house is made of brick - roof part thatch, part stone
local pub, Alderton
thatched house at the bend of the road
Adlestrop Post Office
thatched brick post office joins thatched stone building
on a walk near Chastleton
long thatched roof in Bampton
thatched barn in Bampton overlooks a game of croquet
wheat field in Stow
wheat like what is being made into thatch in video (above)
wheat field with Stow beyond
notice how adjoining buildings have different roofs
Squirrel Cottage, Broadwell
hand cut curves along roofs edge
thatch covered entry says "welcome to Squirrel Cottage"
Anne Hathaway's Cottage, Stratford-upon-Avon
Here are the links to the other 3 videos in this series in the event anyone wants to see the results of the "persons learning to thatch" contest, and whether or not they have what it takes to go forward. Also, you will see scenes in the countryside that we have been enjoying since mid-August!
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