Having spent time in Holland, I have been greatly influenced and inspired by the way in which that country has used thatch effectively in new-build projects, and in the process created a thriving thatching industry.

 

In the United Kingdom there is currently a big demand for new and affordable housing. But all too often our new housing developments are of a low quality, and the majority do not contribute to the local aesthetics and heritage of towns and villages. Most are also built with little regard to the appropriateness and suitability of the materials employed and, most importantly, whether the actual projects benefit the local community. For these reasons I am keen to see thatch, combined with other local sustainable building materials, play an important part in new buildings in appropriate areas of the UK.

 

Conserving and developing traditional thatching skills and expanding our thatching industry could bring many benefits to the wider community. To this end my goals are:

 

 

I welcome enquiries from anyone interested in using thatch as a roofing material, including those considering building or rebuilding their property, architects and property developers.

 

Also, bearing in mind that roof structures designed for thatch have different specifications from those designed for tiled roofs, I am happy to be contacted to discuss or give advice on the development of architectural plans.