Thatch is part of the identity and character of Devon. It has been used as a roofing material for over 600 years. There are more historic thatched properties in Devon than any other English county, and the rest of the world. Today the county probably has about 4000 thatched buildings, which is only a fraction of what once existed. Today they are mostly rural buildings, and in the past nearly all farm buildings would have been thatched. Most thatched buildings are historic listed buildings, and it is rare to find a new thatched house, although there is one in Otterton, next to the Old Vicarage on the corner of Ropers Lane. In fact, Otterton is a good place to see thatched buildings, as there are over thirty scattered around the village, and only three or four were built in the 20th century. 

Thatching is a highly skilled job, as the material has to be laid so that the water runs off the roof quickly, and away from any ‘leak’ points such as junctions with chimney stacks or dormers. There is no need for guttering because of the projecting eaves. These roofs provide excellent insulation, keeping the house warm in winter and cool in summer. 

As an organic material thatch decays over time as the stems of combed wheat reed or water reed degrade and rot back. The ridge of the roof is particularly vulnerable and needs replacing at least every 12 years. A roof can be patched to prolong its life. Orientation and local conditions mean that one pitch of the roof may need attention before the other. That is why it is hard to predict how long a new thatched roof will last. With careful ridge maintenance, it can be anything from 20 to 30 years, depending on local conditions, as some areas of Devon are much wetter than others. Most Devon thatchers today rethatch by ‘overcoating’. This technique preserves old layers of thatch and historically important parts of an old roof. The thatcher lays combed reed in courses upwards from the eaves to the ridge, with the fixings of each course covered by the course above. 

Ornaments on the ridge, such as pheasants, foxes or ducks, are a recent, 20th century trend, as none are noted on early photographs of Devon buildings. With greater emphasis on energy efficiency, it would be good to use thatch again for new buildings, as it fits into the local landscape. This has been done successfully in West Dorset. Of course, fire precautions are extremely important as there are about 12 serious thatch fires every year in Devon. Comprehensive advice can be obtained from the Devon Fire and Rescue Service’s Fire Safety Officer. 

For anyone who wants to find out more about this topic, there is a wealth of advice on all aspects of thatch on the Historic England website. 

A thatcher at work	A new build example

References 

• Thatch in Devon - March 2003 Devon County Council. 
• J Cox and J R L Thorp - Devon Thatch (Devon Books 2001)