Master Thatchers work to high professional standards. They serve a rigorous five year apprenticeship, carry out a wide range of thatching work - both under supervision and on their own - and pass examinations before they are finally allowed to call themselves a 'Master Thatcher'.
The pictures below show some of the quality materials Country Thatching uses and Master Thatcher James McCormack undertaking various thatching tasks.
Country Thatching uses only top-quality, authentic materials.
James is seen 'dressing' freshly laid straw on a thatched roof. He is using a modern version of a 'leggatt', a centuries-old tool, to beat the straw into place.
Pinning down the straw on a roof ridge. This is called 'sparring'. James is using traditional hazel wood spars for this task.
Hammering in a spar on a roof under construction.
Cutting a pattern in the ridge of a newly thatched roof.
This is the house where the above pictures were taken.
A selection of tools used by a Master Thatcher. Those shown (from left to right) are: mallet; pins; shearing hook; leggatt; side rake.
