The complete thatching service‌ Welcome to Paul Burchell Thatching Limited and thanks for stopping by our exciting new website. We are a small, family-run business which has been established for more than 27 years and in that time we have become recognised as one of the leading thatchers in the country. Customers are assured a warm, friendly, professional and fully insured service from hugely experienced craftsman who take pride in producing the very finest in thatched roofs. This dedication led to a prestigious Sussex Heritage Award in 2009. We offer a complete thatching service including emergency repairs, reridge and overhauls, and complete re-thatching in the three materials of combed wheat reed, water reed and long straw. We are fire prevention specialists and have extensive knowledge in all the latest fire protection and prevention products available. This safety is reassuring and also can lead to reduction of your insurance premiums. Our thatchers are all members of the National Society of Master Thatchers. All of our work is guaranteed and we offer a 24-hour emergency call out service, too. We are based in Eastergate, near Chichester, West Sussex and are happy to quote for any job nationally or overseas. For a free quotation or advice call us now on 01243 545565 or 07966 297321.
Master thatcher Paul Burchell began
thatching in the spring of 1986 as a 14 year old schoolboy. His early introduction to the business gave him an insight from the bottom up and he still fondly remembers those days when his main tasks were clearing rubbish but at the same time learning the groundwork of the trade at weekends and in the school holidays. The following year Paul left school and went straight into thatching and proceeded to learn his craft, mainly in West Sussex, but also working in Kent, Surrey and Norfolk which gave him an education in different regional styles. In 1992, Paul set up Paul Burchell Thatching Ltd and since then the company has flourished, again mainly in West Sussex, Surrey and Hampshire. There have been excursions elsewhere however and the firm has completed contracts as far away as America, Europe and the Channel Islands.
Water reed/Norfolk reed The majority of water reed used today is imported mainly from Turkey, Hungary, France and Ukraine. Water reed from Norfolk can still be sourced but is mainly used on English heritage work due to its short supply. As with combed wheat reed, the crop changes from year to year so reed from one country will not necessarily be used every year.
An entire new roof using water reed, fixed over existing thatch to give a more soft and rounded appearance. The work took five weeks and the owners were delighted with the result!
Water reed is generally a lot longer in length than combed wheat and also a lot harder. It has a thinner, more angular appearance than combed wheat reed and is usually applied directly to the roof timbers to a minimum thickness of 350mm, then secured with stainless steel screw wire fixings. Water reed can also be applied over an existing roof to give the softer more rounded appearance of combed wheat reed (Planning permission would be needed). When new, only the ridge is covered in wire netting. If a good quality reed is used and the roof is maintained properly it should last between 40 and 50 years.
Combed wheat reed/wheat straw Combed wheat reed has a history dating back more than 700 years and is used only in the UK as a material for thatching both main elevations and ridges. It is normally placed on top of the existing roof and fixed on using hazel spars, but can also be applied directly to timbers as a single layer thatch, like water reed. The entire roof is usually wired in to protect it from the elements and vermin. The appearance of a wheat read roof is often thicker with a softer, more rounded appearance compared with the more angular appearance of water reed.
A new ridge to the original work we carried out15 years previously. The rest of the roof was fine but the owners felt a new ridge would enhance the appearance. The ridge consists of wheat reed with a sedge wrapover and block cut ornamental pattern – the job took just four weeks and the owners were delighted with the outcome.
Each harvest is different and it can often be challenging to source good quality materials, but a major advantage is that it is grown mainly in the South of England. If a good quality material is sourced, a combed wheat reed roof should last between 20 to 30 years.
Long straw Long straw thatch is again fixed on top of the existing coat of thatch like combed wheat reed, but does not have butts one end and ears the other as combed wheat does. It has long lengths of straw on the surface with the ears of the straw visible, giving a more ‘poured on’ look. Long straw roofs will also have a hazel pattern around the eaves, similar to the ridge. As with combed wheat reed, the entire roof is covered with wire netting to protect it from the elements and vermin. Good quality long straw should last between 15 to 25 years.