Thatched roofs lend a homely and welcoming appearence to a property. Pubs and restaurants often find that their clientele increase with an attractive thatched roof on their building.
Hezlett House is a National Trust property near Castlerock. An historic building, it is the finest example of a crook-beam roof, apart from it's many other attractions.
I thatched this building from the roof timbers up, as it had suffered from a malicious fire. First up was a layer of scraws laid over the crook beam roof timbers and herring-bone lathing. Next to go on was an undercoat of wheat reed to level the roof and strenghten the base. Then the top-coat, again of wheaten reeds, scolloped on with hazel scollops.
It took me a number of months to complete the roof and ridge it out. Old Mr Hezlett would come round to see how the work was progressing. Our first encounter, when I was starting to fix the rough undercoat, was unhappy: "Come down out of that, young fella! Youre putting it on all wrong!" "Its only an undercoat" I retorted. "Undercoat, topcoat, its all been done before. Come down out of that!", quoth he. Happily he became pleased with the work as it developed and the finished coat went on. "That's right young fella. The last one to do it put it on all wrong." he shouted in encouragement. He told me that in the past the thatcher used to get a cart load of potatoes and all his milk in return for the work. And apparently he would work through the bad weather: "The rain used to go in at his neck, and come out at his arse!", said Mr H.
Old cottages are more difficult to get right than new work. You have to make your own going on the roof as there are no fixed lines to follow. To the right is a cottage being net-thatched. This is the traditional form of thatching in Donegal, where the straw is laid heads down, about 4 inches thick and then held down with a net. This would be repeated ever few years with locally gathered materials. In the days before wire netting the net would be formed by criss-crossing red rope. Straw of all classes was used, as was rushes,lint (flax), bog-grass and laterly Marram grass.
I was once told by a bar-room thatcher that "Irish thatch" bent grass, was best, lasting longer than new-fangled water-reed. Bent, or Marram-grass was however planted by that louse Lord Palmerston in the late 1800's, having been imported from India, to prevent erosion of the sand-dunes. Water reed is an indigenous species, and has grown around our lakes for a long long time. He was right about its lasting qualities though for net thatching. It has now become almost impossible to get.
"The building of Classiebawn Castle at Mullaghmore was begun by Lord Palmerston, then Prime Minister of England, and was completed by his step-son, Lord Mount Temple in 1874. The castle was built entirely of stone brought by sea from Donegal and the estate covers almost 1,000 acres. Lord Palmerstown also built a harbour at Mullaghmore and imported marram grass plant from India. He planted this special grass seed along the entire coastline to keep the sand dunes from moving and to stop coastal erosion" (extracted from http://www.irlgov.ie/debates-00/18april/sect6.htm)
A glimpse of the lake next to the completed roof on this cottage, which shows the thatched barge ends.
A new ridge tidies up this old cottage near Westport.
Molly D'Arcys Hotel near Killarney was a large impressive building to thatch. With eyebrow windows and half-hip ends, there was plenty of work to be done. I was lucky enough to stay in marvelous digs, and had a great time with Eileen and Pat, mine hosts. Being not too far from the town centre, it was not unheard of for me to scamper down into town for a couple of pints. I don't know which was harder, the days up the ladder or the nights in the pub.
Old Parr's Cottage, in Shropshire is built on the site of the original. Old Parr was the oldest man in England, and they named a whisky after him. Jenny rebuilt the house in the traditional manner, black and white, and I was pleased to thatch it for her.
A few years ago I was around the area and called back to tidy the ridge.
This view of the roof on a restored cottage near Galway shows the protection afforded by the thatch to eyebrow windows. The bonnet effect produces a good overhang on the eaves, and shelters the windows from all sides.
I crow about this as I was accused by a building engineer of having put it on wrong, thus allowing a leak, and the roof would have to be stripped and made good. It turned out that the leak was in the window frame, and I was vindicated. Of course the engineer never sent me an apology.
The Tidy Doffer Bar and Restaurant, was built in the new in Ravarnet, near Lisburn.
It has a 50 degree pitch, which is the recommended angle for a thatched roof, and so looks well in proportions. I remember working on the roof in the snow, and shivering outside whilst through the windows I could see a roaring fire and people enjoying good cheer. I only felt better when the roof was completed and I received my cheque!
