Norfolk reed thatcher at work

Fascinating footage of a thatcher at work from YouTube.

Not exactly a thrilled-packed ride, but well worth a watch for lovers of thatch and thatching.

Radio blaze averted

A serious fire at a thatched property in Three Legged Cross, Dorset was narrowly averted earlier this month after fire crews promptly attended a domestic fire started when a plastic radio was left on an oven hob which was subsequently turned on by accident. Despite sustaining extensive smoke damage, the property was fortunate to be spared worse harm. 

Read the full story in the Daily Echo here.

Artist's impression only.

Latest wood burning stove and thatch incident

This is Somerset recently reported that firefighters were called to a fire at a thatched house in Muchelney near Langport earlier this month.

It was reported that "a fire engine from Martock was sent to the fire involving a wood burner at the property on Manor Lane at around 8pm on Sunday" (4 August) "Crews put out the fire and also dampened the thatched roof as a precaution.

The wood burner was moved to the outside of the house."

Read the full story here

Banbury Pub gets its thatch back

From the Banbury Observer:

THE return of three birds to the roof of Banbury’s Three Pigeons pub has marked the end of a £30,000 project to restore the town’s only thatched property.

Following the Great Fire of Banbury in 1628, one third of buildings in the town centre were destroyed and the use of thatch was banned to prevent future disasters.

The Three Pigeons, in Southam Road, was the only thatched building to survive the blaze and has since remained the only building in the town to have a straw roof.

Last Friday a six-week project to restore the roof came to an end and saw three new pigeons placed at the top of the pub, which had been missing one of its three birds for several years.

Owner Paul Laird who bought the pub with his wife Tina last year, said: “We knew the thatch needed some attention as part of the renovation works we are undertaking. It was last re-thatched 15 years ago and during an inspection some underlying issues were found which meant we needed to get the whole roof done.

“It’s the last thatched building in Banbury and we have replaced it like-for-like with the same design. The only things that have changed are the three pigeons, which are slightly different, but we thought it would be a good opportunity to get up there and return them all to the roof.

“I’m over the moon with the outcome, it looks absolutely stunning and I have had a lot of positive comments from people about how great it looks – I’m really chuffed.”

The work was undertaken by Stuart Viggers of Stuart Viggers Master Thatchers, with help from employee Samuel Turner and apprentice Stevie Jones.

Mr Viggers said: “There were three of us on site and we completed the roof with combed wheatstraw. I’m over the moon with the final result – it ranks as one of our best ever jobs.”

The £30,000 thatch restoration is part of a £550,000 renovation project being undertaken by Mr Laird to transform the building, interior and garden into a traditional English, family-friendly pub ahead of its planned opening in September.

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.

Thatch fire in Bardwell

Thatch fire in Bardwell

Published on Tuesday 20 March 2012 13:24
 

FIRECREWS are at the scene of a thatched roof fire in Bardwell.
Appliances were sent from Bury St Edmunds, Ixworth, Thetford and East Harling and crews used breathing apparatus and thermal imaging.

The fire is thought to have begun on the ground floor and spread to the thatch.