Thatchers at work on a roof in Wiltshire, UK


Thatching is the craft of building a roof with dry vegetation such as straw, water reed, sedge (Cladium mariscus), rushes, or heather, layering the vegetation so as to shed water away from the inner roof. It is a very old roofing method and has been used in both tropical and temperate climates. Thatch is still employed by builders in developing countries, usually with low-cost, local vegetation. By contrast in some developed countries it is now the choice of affluent people who desire a rustic look for their home, would like a more ecologically friendly roof, or who have purchased an originally thatched abode.


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Photo credit: © Scenics & Science / Alamy / Afripics
License: Licensed
Model Released: No

Keywords: cladium, craft, mariscus, reed, roof, sedge, straw, thatchers, uk, water, weave, wiltshire, work