Roof thatchers in two-year backlog for repairs

Roof thatchers in the South West have said they have a backlog of at least two years' work, partly due to a shortage of people wanting to work in the trade.

They say the short-supply of straw and several seasons of bad weather have made it harder to keep up with the demand for thatching.

The Devon and Cornwall Master Thatcher Association said fewer young people were making inquiries about learning the trade.

Master thatcher Tony Jackson said: "We used to get 12 to 15 applications of people wanting to be apprentices but in the last six years we've had three or four, it's dropped right off."

Will Sanders started work as Mr Jackson's apprentice six years ago and said he greatly enjoys his job.

"I worked a summer with Tony and I really enjoyed the labour, working with my hands, and that was it for me," he said.

"You are constantly learning too, which is great."

Tom Paterson said he became a thatcher's apprentice after leaving a career as a structural engineer and found he loved "being on the roofs".

"I really wanted to learn the craft and to make things with my hands."

Author Tom Allan, also felt the draw of the straw 13 years ago, leaving a job in publishing to become a thatcher and now helping train apprentices of his own.

He said: "When you spend a long time learning the craft, it could be tempting to keep that knowledge to yourself, but it's good to get to share it with other people because that's the only way to keep the whole thing going".

Master thatcher Lars Blackwell said it was a fabulous job.

"You are working on some of the most beautiful properties, you really make your mark, you know, and everyone loves thatched roofs".

Edwina Wakley from the Devon and Cornwall Master Thatcher Association said the backlog was "due to the shortage of straw" after "very poor weather over the past two years".

The bad weather has also affected the speed at which thatchers are able to work, and also put people off learning the trade, she added.

She said "much of the interest [previously] came from seeing a thatcher working on a sunny day - all very idyllic but perhaps not quite so in torrential rain and extremely cold conditions. Seldom was much interest expressed then.

"Once [it is] explained that it is an all-weather job and that there is a long apprenticeship, it is not quite so appealing."

The association attends shows in the region each year where people interested in becoming thatchers can find out more.

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