Thatching in Warwickshire & Worcestershire
This area consists of the two historic counties; which now includes most of the modern, metropolitan county of the West Midlands; which is incorporated here; except that part included with Staffordshire.
Apart from the famous Ann Hathaway‘s Cottage, at Stratford on Avon; which is featured in the following page. (Thatching at Anne Hathaways Cottage ) These two historic counties, also have many other attractive thatched buildings.
The thatch here mainly follows the curved Southern tradition, especially in the county of Worcester. However, this being the northernmost limit of this style, the influence, of the neighbouring Northern tradition, can be also seen; particularly in parts of Warwickshire. Watling Street the old roman road, forms part of Warwickshire’s north eastern boundary. As already mentioned, in the introduction to the various thatching styles, this once marked a meeting point, between Saxon and Viking cultures. And is still the rough line, between the curved and angular thatching styles. So the squarer shape to the thatching hereabouts perhaps still reflects this Dark Age division…
Northern style… This old image, of the Warwickshire smithy at Dunchurch, shows a Northern style thatch. Fairly angular long straw, topped with a mortar ridge. The thatch roof is still here, the modern thatch being more curved and of combed wheat reed. Also standing is the chestnut tree; a century and more older and much larger…
Whatever the traditional style of thatching, long straw was once the material of choice; in both counties. This is now hard to find. Spars, known as Pricks in Warwickshire, are occasionally seen following an eaves line, in a memory of long straw work. But today the coating material will mainly be combed wheat reed. Combed wheat was known of in Worcestershire, but the Agricultural Reporter stated it was only used in cider making, two centuries ago.
Most modern thatching is found in the southern parts of both counties. The attractive settlements, around Worcestershire’s Breedon Hill, containing a great deal. But even the large conurbations, in the north of this area; included in the West Midlands, have a few scattered roofs in their surrounding villages…
Multi layered… At Claverdon, a few miles north of Stratford on Avon, in c1930. Similar to the roof above, at Dunchurch; in that it has an angular shape and is topped with a mortar ridge. But this roof is much thicker, showing its underlayers of thatch very well. Like the Dunchurch roof, this one is still thatched.
West Midlands thatch… The left hand cottage, with a Tudor core, lies at Balsall Common. And is one of the few original homes hereabouts. The rest mainly dating from the last century. The right hand cottage, with an attractive straw bird and a ‘northern’ boarded gable end, lies at Berkswell.
Southern Warwickshire… The upper image shows ‘The Smithy and Post Office, Upper Brailes’, with an almost completed long straw roof, in around 1900. The lower right stone cottage is at nearby Sutton under Brailes. With a rolled gable end, it recalls this areas long straw tradition. Although now coated in combed wheat reed. The unusual building on the right, is the lych gate to Long Compton church. Around four hundred years old, it was once the local cobbler’s shop and part of a longer row of thatched cotttages…
‘From Alton, in Warwickfhire we hear, that one Jofeph Sugar, a Thatcher, died there last Week in the 100th Year of his Age…’ Derby Mercury, 21st March 1766
Northern Warwickshire… This seventeenth century cottage lies at Newton Regis, the northernmost parish in Warwickshire. Bounded on the north-west by Staffordshire and on the north-east by Derbyshire and for 500 yards or so, by Leicestershire. Noman’s Heath lay close by, a lawless place, as it was so easy to move to another county…
Over in Worcestershire…
Warwickshire old and new… The above shows ‘North Street’, Rugby, at the very end of the nineteenth century. With a long gone, guttered thatch. It’s now the busy urban B5414… The right hand cottage at Salford Priors, lies just over the border from Worcestershire. In an area with a lot of thatch, in both counties.
Medieval Worcestershire thatch… This charming, cruck framed building, near Bromsgrove dates from the fifteenth century. And is said to be the oldest inhabited house in the area. It lies in a very secluded spot. Only a dozen miles from Birmingham city centre…
More old Worcestershire thatch… The above cottage at Broome, shows a very Southern traditional curved thatch. With the roof on the right hand thatch at Doddenham being a little more angular. Both being thatched in long straw, over a century ago.
Timber framed Worcestershire thatch… The tall roof on the above cottage lies at Great Comberton. One of the several thatch filled villages, surrounding Breedon Hill. In around 1900, one William Hook was the thatcher hereabouts; known throughout the district as ‘Hook the Thatcher’… The lower cottage at Norton Lenchwick, is in much the same area. With its combed wheat reed roof, having a line of liggers along the eaves. A reminder of the long straw tradition, in this county.
Immaculate… Above, a combed wheat reed roof, with an unusual porch ,at Bredon. On the right is an Edwardian image of the same property, coated in long straw, topped with a flush ridge.
Worcestershire Long Straw… The old image from the 1930’s, shows long straw roofs at Broadway, a photogenic village, with a few thatches…
Long straw & Combed wheat… at Kemerton. Once in Gloucestershire, now in Worcestershire. The above image was taken twenty years after this changeover, in 1951; depicting a post war thatcher re-ridging ‘Daffurn’s Cottage’; the main roof being in long straw. When working on a nearby property this thatcher had negotiated the provision of a barrel of cider throughout the job, as part payment…
The photo opposite shows a modern thatch, in combed wheat reed; now the material mainly found hereabouts. This attractive village has retained several similar roofs, including Daffurn’s Cottage… Top image; © & thanks David Hawgood. Opposite photo; © & thanks Phillip Halling. Both under Creative Commons.
Cropthorne… On the left is an well photographed cottage at Cropthorne, thatched in combed wheat reed. The old image below, from the 1920/30’s, shows a well thatched roof of long straw and a roof totally coated with repairwork; in this village; still with a few extant thatches…
Finally, in a country churchyard…
Up a narrow Warwickshire track, lies the church of St. Milburga, at Wixford. In the atmospheric churchyard is a small wooden building, thatched, with walls of gorse and heather. This little thatch, is said to have acted as a stable, for the horse of any minister conducting services here. It is perhaps three centuries old… A rare survivor, of the countless, thatched small buildings, that were once found throughout Britain.
