If you are replacing the same material and not altering the design of the roof, you do not need any form of permission as you are abiding by Historic England guidelines. If you wish to change either the design of the type of material, we can advise and liaise with the appropriate officers.

Although there are formal NVQs is thatching, a lot of thatchers do not hold them. To become a member of a Master Thatching body, you must submit work for peer assessment, with the highest of standards being upheld. We are members of the National Council of Master Thatcher’s Associations and the East Midlands Master Thatcher’s Association, being accepted as members on first application. Chris also carries out assessments of applicant’s work who apply to join these organisations.

Scaffolding is a legal requirement for all but minor repair work. We liaise between the home owner and the scaffold contractors to ensure a swift turn around with no extra work needed by the client. We use specialist contractors, with experience of dealing with thatch, as the scaffold has to comply to a strict specification.

We hold full public liability insurance for ourselves and employees up to £10 million.

The old thatch is taken to a green waste recycling centre and then mixed with other organic waste, such as grass, tree chipping’s etc and then turned into compost.

Each house is as unique as the owner. We offer free quotations and advice, which is the only true way to gauge the cost.

With over 1,500 individuals working within the industry, thatching is very alive and popular, with increasingly more new properties being thatched. Training takes between 5-7 years, with few making the grade.

Material dependent, you can thatch in the rain, though through heavy rain, laying of new materials is not advisable. On exceptionally wet days, materials can be prepared in advance, so time is not lost. Where required, roofs are covered in heavy duty tarpaulin, to keep your roof in the dry.

The wire netting is used to protect your roof against vermin such as rats and squirrels. By fully enclosing the roof, it protects your roof from vermin entering. To discourage vermin, I would advise where possible to place bait, if safe to do so, within the loft space of the roof. Vermin can cause a lot of damage in a short amount of time, so it pays to monitor your roof. Simple prevention such as closing external doors, having wire netting around the entrance to any down pipes also helps.