Some visual inspiration for potential owners of thatched properties

This gallery of thatched cottages for sale from the Telegraph illustrates very persuasively the appeal of living in a thatched building.

Ranging from the humble to the grandiose, these beauties sell from a few hundred thousand to well over a million. Number 9 even comes with its own (compact) box hedge maze!

Prospective purchasers may worry about the safety profile of a thatch building, but, with proper maintenance and safety precautions, thatched roofs are no less effective and reliable than any other material. Insuring a thatched property can also be a lot easier and less expensive than you may think.

Interested in finding out more?

Contact us (see details on the left) and we'll be happy to expand!

Fire chiefs issue stark warning to West Country thatched property owners

WITH the winter months approaching, fire fighters in North Devon are urging householders to ensure their chimney is safe.

Last year in North Devon and Exeter there were 238 fires, and Devon and Somerset Fire and Rescue Services had attended 75 in the area so far this year, including a chimney fire in Holsworthy yesterday (Thursday) evening.

Lee Shepherd, who has been a fire fighter at Barnstaple since 2002, is a registered chimney sweep and is urging people to keep their houses safe.

He said: “I’ve been sweeping over North Devon since 2007 and to date I have issued over 700 chimney certificates, given a lot of advice and learnt a lot along the way from many experienced builders and roofers.

“One of my elderly customers had been suffering from severe headaches for more than five years, and was prescribed various medications for this from her GP.

“Her routine would be to sit in front the gas fire every night and she would go off to bed very sleepy around 9pm.

“What they didn’t know was that she was suffering from carbon monoxide poisoning, as the gas fire’s chimney had a large nest restricting the vent of fumes and gases escaping.”

Alan Kyle, watch manager at Bideford Fire Station, said: “With the colder, winter months looming, people will begin to start using open fires and their chimneys again.

“In order to keep you and your family safe from fire, you need to take necessary steps such as ensuring your chimney is swept regularly, depending upon what fuel you burn, and I would urge all householders to have a working smoke alarm and carbon monoxide alarm in their home.”

The fire service is also writing to all thatch property owners across Bideford, Barnstaple and Exeter to offer advice on keeping their homes safe.

“Although thatch fires are not common, over 90 per cent of thatched roof fires start as a result of a faulty flue or chimney,” added watch commander Kyle.

“The thatch is designed to repel water which makes extinguishing such fires difficult.”

See the full story in the North Devon Gazette here.

Academic study on thatching reviewed

Just found this thorough and helpful review of a weighty tome on the subject of Thatching in Western Europe...

“This excellent book about thatching in Western Europe covers a subject which has so far received little attention on a larger scale. Thatched roofs and the techniques employed in making them are very vulnerable to the elements and tend to change over time, which makes the recording of them especially important. The jury were particularly impressed with the wide area covered in the study and the detailed discussion of techniques, materials and the social context of thatching.”

This in-depth study traces the ancient tradition of thatching, from Northwest Spain to the most strongly represented areas across Western Europe. The wide scope of the field work covers Iberia, Britain, Ireland, Germany, Holland, Scandinavia, France and the Italian Piedmont. The comparative methodology employed is the first of its kind and has filled a previous void in recorded knowledge of thatching throughout Western Europe."

To continue reading click here.

Looking to buy a thatched property?

If you are looking for a thatched property to buy, the Guardian reports, you could do worse than taking a look at a website called Period Property UK. Also good for finding castles and medieval manor houses, apparently!

You can find the Period Property website here.

When we looked this morning we found this somewhat compromised thatched cottage in Norfolk.

Firefighters battle to save East Garston thatched roof

FIREFIGHTERS from five local stations battled to save the thatched roof of an East Garston cottage yesterday (Sun) evening.

Watch manager Lee Glover, of Blue Watch at Newbury Fire Station said pumps were called at 7.18pm from Newbury, Hungerford, Swindon, Ramsbury and Wantage – around 25 firefighters – to the fire in the thatched roof of a cottage in Station Road.

“The thatch was well alight,” said Mr Glover, adding the cause was believed to be a log burner, lit for the first time yesterday.

Firefighters pulled out thatch either side of the fire, creating a break, to prevent it spreading further.

The thatch was 40 per cent damaged in the blaze.

“Normally we lose 90 per cent in a thatch fire,” added Mr Glover.

The blaze was extinguished by 11pm, when the fire fighting operation was scaled down to two pumps.

No-one was hurt.

One pump was left on watch to ensure the fire did not re-ignite and a Newbury crew inspected the fire at 7.30am today (Mon) when the incident was closed.

The roof was covered in tarpaulin sheets after the fire.

Read the full story in Newbury Today here

Newbury fire crews partially save burning thatch roof

Newbury Today yesterday reported that fire crews from five stations in the local area battled to save the thatched roof of an East Garston cottage on Sunday evening.

Watch manager Lee Glover, of Blue Watch at Newbury Fire Station said pumps were called at 7.18pm from Newbury, Hungerford, Swindon, Ramsbury and Wantage – around 25 firefighters – to the fire in the thatched roof of a cottage in Station Road.

“The thatch was well alight,” said Mr Glover, adding the cause was believed to be a log burner, lit for the first time yesterday.

Firefighters pulled out thatch either side of the fire, creating a break, to prevent it spreading further.

The thatch was 40 per cent damaged in the blaze.

“Normally we lose 90 per cent in a thatch fire,” added Mr Glover.

The blaze was extinguished by 11pm, when the fire fighting operation was scaled down to two pumps.

No-one was hurt.

One pump was left on watch to ensure the fire did not re-ignite and a Newbury crew inspected the fire at 7.30am today (Mon) when the incident was closed.

The roof was covered in tarpaulin sheets after the fire.

Newmarket thatched property damaged by fire

Hot weather and conifers implicated in East Anglian thatch blaze.

The dangers of wood burning stoves

The Daily Telegraph reports that "thatched cottage owners could be putting themselves at risk by using wood burning stoves in homes where the roofs are unable to cope with the intense heat from the modern wood fires.

There are 400,00 ancient thatched cottages in Britain, many listed as being of special interest, but each winter dozens are lost to fires and fire brigades often point to wood burning stoves as the cause.

Hampshire Fire and Rescue Service issued the warning after six thatched cottages were damaged by fire, believed to be caused by wood burning stoves, in a three week period.

An investigation into three of the fires, which took place near Andover when temperatures plummeted below freezing this April, found wood burning stoves were a factor in each of the blazes.

Community Safety Officer Paul Francis, who's leading a campaign to encourage thatched home owners to maintain their chimneys, said "Modern enclosed solid fuel appliances are designed to burn at an increased temperature to promote a more efficient 'clean burn'.

“But when fitted in elderly chimneys with only a four-inch layer of brick and a poorly maintained lining, the thatch becomes extremely vulnerable to heat transfer and therefore fire."

The fires near Andover took place between 29 March and 7 April, and saw up to 70 firefighters called out to put out the blaze each time. The fire service has created a ‘thatch pack’ with fire safety tips for owners in a bid to try and avoid more cottages being destroyed, which advises owners to ensure chimneys are swept regularly and roofs are properly lined.

See the full story here.

38% saving on thatched property insurance

Blowing one's own trumpet isn't always a good idea!  We've all done it and we've all suffered as a result.  However, given the price hikes currently being experienced in the Thatched Property Insurance Market at this moment in time, I can't help myslef.

WE - EXPORT AND GENERAL INSURANCE SERVICES LTD (Thatched Property Insurance Division) - have once again saved one of our clients a massive amount of money on thier thatched buildings and contents insurance!  The story is like this:

Existing insurer renewal quote: just over £1,300 premium with an excess of nearly £1,000

Our Quote Number 1: just under £1,600 premium and an excess of £500

Our Quote Number 2: just over £800 permium with an excess of £100

Clearly our Quote Number 2 was accepted and incepted with insurers - as the insurance cover in all 3 cases is pretty much identical.  Using a broker who knows what they are doing will get results!  Our reelationship with the insurers who support us is the key to our success.

Spread the word!

Call John on: 01454 615417 for a quote!

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