NEWS BUILDINGS AT RISK
The Thatch Conundrum Thatched buildings are a quaint reminder of our past with its associated heritage, cultural identity and sustainable credentials. Once a roofing material of convenience and economy, thatch has been superseded over the last century and faces threats from a number of different factors. This includes a lack of thatchers across the country, shortage of thatching material, limited government support and insurance worries creating a myriad of short and long-term issues. Not to be forgotten here are the owners of these buildings who have the challenge of trying to preserve the history and story of their buildings. Not all owners are able to rise to the challenge and navigate through the complexities of insurance, maintenance and organise thatchers who have busy schedules. The Environment and Heritage Survey study ‘A Sense of Loss’, published in 1998, charts the dramatic loss of vernacular thatched buildings in Northern Ireland from circa 40,000 in the 1950s to 217 in 1993. Today there are 180 listed thatched buildings, including a number where the thatch is under tin. 21% of these listed buildings are on the Heritage at Risk Register! It should be acknowledged that listing and grant aid since the early 1970s did stem the decline in thatched buildings while the pressures mentioned above remain an issue.
Ivor grows forty acres of flax and rye in his native Donegal for his thatching projects around Ireland. This is enough to keep him going throughout the year but increasingly he is supplying other thatchers. This is something he enjoys but it has to be balanced between his own projects and not knowing what jobs he might receive in the future. This represents both an opportunity and also a challenge. Thatched buildings have regional differences in material, construction and floorplans. The thatch itself can come in different materials such as marram grass, flax, rye, oat straw and also reeds. Therefore, re-thatching is not just a simple case of thatching with any material that is available at hand. The problem is heightened by the fact that few of these materials are grown locally and as a result a large quantity are imported from England and also Europe. Supply chain issues, inflation and the war in Ukraine has resulted in the price of water reed doubling in price in parts of England.1 Additionally, a number of older farmers grew small areas of suitable thatching material in the past but their numbers have dwindled in recent years. Flax, once the key product and export of Northern Ireland, is grown in pitifully small quantities, only three known farmers grow the plant on scale.
In November 2022, I spoke to thatcher Ivor Kilpatrick on site at the Wilson Homestead off the Spout Road, south-east of Strabane. Ivor and his son James are re-thatching the vernacular building with rye straw having removed a layer of rotten straw from the surface. This is being pinned in place with hazel scallops. The thatch here had deteriorated considerably with deep pits, vegetation growth and intrusion of the thatch by rogue jackdaws. Its remote location and the fact it is a museum means it receives less maintenance compared to a conventional lived-in thatched house. In saying this, it is positive to see that in this example, the problem has been dealt with before lasting damage could occur.
A thatched property in Garvagh at risk
Is there an opportunity for further cooperation between the Historic Environment Division and DAERA to offer an incentive for farmers or owners of small-holdings to grow suitable thatching materials such as oats, barley, straw, flax and rye? Growing a wide variety of crops would ensure a steady supply of materials and reduce our reliance on importing material from abroad. It would also provide a ready stock of material to undertake emergency thatching which would pair well with the Historic Roof Repair Schemes. Kilpatricks at work, Wilson House, Strabane
Ongoing maintenance is key for the preservation of thatch buildings. If the thatch is not maintained it can become damp
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