English Heritage hits the roof with its roadshow
English Heritage hits the roof with its roadshow
ENGLISH Heritage plans to spread the word about thatch with a travelling roadshow* which gets under way this spring.
The first event is at West Sussexs Weald and Downland Museum in May, followed by similar ones in the South West, West Midlands, East Midlands and East Anglia.
The initiative follows the warning from English Heritage chairman Sir Jocelyn Stevens that the centuries-old thatching tradition is under threat from imported materials and alien styles.
"Of all the myriad styles that make up Englands built heritage, thatched buildings are almost certainly the best loved. They are the quintessential image of rural England," he says.
"Far from being a scene of bucolic harmony, the thatching industry is fraught with conflicts and disagreements, with conservationists and thatchers frequently in opposing corners and owners caught in the middle."
There is, says Sir Jocelyn, a lack of architects and surveyors expert in the field and, with no single body representing thatchers, there are no unified standards of good practise. Many of todays practitioners "do their own thing" when choosing materials and styles and planning authorities have lacked a proper basis for exercising control, leading to varying interpretations of current planning guidance. TR
*For full details of the roadshow, call English Heritages Chris Wood on 0171 973 3026.