Buying a thatched cottage

[robgil]

Sorry - missed the thatch issue while writing the other bit.

Thatching styles and materials are very much down to local tradition. Most thatch is here in Devon and it is combed wheat reed. As you go across the country both materials and style change in to long straw. Post WW2 some conservationists preferred long straw so you actually got buildings changing.

In Devon we also have lots of soot blackened thatch. This is actual evidence that the building had an open fire before chimneys were introduced so the thatch is 500 years old or more.

There is also the issue of availability of wheat read. There won't be much available this year due to the rain.

To answer your question, legally we can't ask for betterment in an application. However if this building has a Norfolk water reed roof and they are proposing to put Polish water read or even African pampas grass on the roof then consent may well be required.

Our job is never black and white. With experience you realise that there are many shades of grey. That takes years to learn and at the moment that knowledge is disappearing in local government due to the cuts.

Good luck

Garnett

Just out of curiosity, what are your views in ridges? They seem to be getting more and more fancy and CO's seem to be letting people do it. And sawn/planed/treated timber rather than split hazel for instance, I see more and more roofs being done with B+Q off the shelf timber these days.

 

[garnett]

Hello Robgil

Again it rather depends on the building type. In Devon we have vernacular thatched agricultural buildings which are simple. We have the chocolate box cottages which are more elaborate. The we have the more quirky cottage orne. These were built in the 18th and early 19th century to conform to the picturesque movement. These can get very flamboyant.
You need to understand the building. The real craftsman stonemasons, thatchers and roofers will often talk to me before doing any work. If I need advice they are happy for me to call them. We don’t worry about the thatch birds as they soon get blown away!

The new requirement for a Statement of Historic Significance with applications will help us a lot. That said, we used to provide this for building owners in a less formal way so more cost for the owner again.

English Heritage have published two very detailed histories of thatch. Thatch: Thatching in England 1790-1940 and Thatch: Thatching in England 1940-1994.

We do encourage best practise and work with the Master Thatchers on this. However the thatch top coat is a finite in life and so in the grand scheme of things it will get changed in 20 years so enforccment is unusual.

Woodburners and thatch fire are our greatest concern as there has been a dramatic increase in the last 15 years. we tend to put our effort into preventing this by working with the fire service.

Garnett

 

[robgil]

I see, so , for instance in a conservation area a CO might not have any objections to someone removing a fancy ridge in favour of a flush ridge?

 

[garnett]

Hi

The statement of historic significance is key. If you have evidence that it is innappropriote then worth applying.

What sort of building is it?

Garnett

 

[robgil]

Just an old thatched cottage, we plan on putting on a flush ridge, we have photos to prove it was there before. My point is though that didnt most if not all thatched buildings have flush ridges at one point and the recent change to fancy ridges is more a recent change than a historic one?

 

[garnett]

If you have photographic evidence then ir helps our case. If it is a venacular building rather than a cottage orne then I suspect you are correct. All good evidence for you stateent of Historic Significance.

Garnett

 

[robgil]

I think it is venacular, it was built in the mid 1500's and half of it was rebuilt I think due to a fire in and around 1760. There were lots of ponds around where they must have taken the clay from.
It's interesting as the house up the road (listed) of a similar date and construction has had the most elaborate ridge I have ever seen put on it, to me it looks rediculous as it takes up a good 60 percent of the entire roof space.

 

[PipPip]

Quick update, my lender has no issue with the potential breach of listed buildings consent for the temporary partition. So all legal due diligence is complete and we should be exchanging contracts within a few weeks. Can't wait to move in (and no doubt start asking all sorts of questions on here!).

 

[FamilyWiggs]

Quick update, my lender has no issue with the potential breach of listed buildings consent for the temporary partition. So all legal due diligence is complete and we should be exchanging contracts within a few weeks. Can't wait to move in (and no doubt start asking all sorts of questions on here!).

Good news!

We look forward to pictures.... Someone did ask for pictures, didn't they? :wink:

 

[PipPip]

Here it is.....

 

[PipPip]

And the interesting side view as the house is seen from the street (my kids call it a hobbit house)...

 

[angrybird]

Here it is.....

*starts throwing a tantrum...." I NEED IT I NEED IT"
pippip you have a truely beautiful home

 

[PipPip]

Thanks, you understand now why we had to have it, especially as the price was no different to similarly sized (and often smaller) modern estate houses and it has a bigger garden (south facing) than most we viewed. Inside layout is great but needs replumbing, new boiler, a lot of cosmetic decorating. Plumber organised, and went round today with our decorator who reckons 2 solid weeks work to bring it to life. Its stuffed with original features, 17th century beams, huge inglenook, original (we believe) wide elm floorboards etc. Will move in probably end of October once all the work is done. Can't wait!

 

[jocelyn plummer]

What a lovely home! Goood luck with the move !

 

[LadyArowana]

That is so pretty, well done. Can totally understand you wanting to have it. Interesting how different the two sides are, hobbit side and chocolate box side. Good luck with getting the plumbing works and redecoration done. If you are thinking October then there is every possibility it will be all done in time for Christmas!

 

[robgil]

What a lovely house, stunning.

 

[Flyfisher]

Gorgeous!