Thatchers warn of growing straw shortage

Thatchers have warned they are facing a growing shortage of straw that is putting them out of work for months at a time.

The traditional trade is responsible for maintaining some of Oxfordshire's most recognisable homes but they told the BBC that finding enough suitable material was becoming increasingly difficult.

Chris Pike, from Thame Thatch, said the lack of straw was having a huge impact on his work and the homes waiting to be thatched, adding: "We're just into a new harvest but by April we'll run out of straw again."

The government advisory body Historic England said it understood the challenges and had been "engaging closely with the sector on these issues over recent years".

"The longer this goes on and you're waiting for straw, roofs are getting dilapidated and then it causes problems underneath where the roof starts leaking and damaging the cottage itself," Pike said.

Chris Fellows, owner of Thame Thatch, said he was worried what this will mean for the industry down the line.

"It's the materials, the straw and obtaining it... obviously the weather's changing," he said.

"The dry summers and springs are killing it, the crop just isn't growing... you've got farmers who are a third down on their yield and that's a huge concern."

Fellows said they have little option but to wait for straw to become available, which can cause long delays for home owners.

"A lot of cottages are listed so you can't use any different materials and that's the thing that's becoming a struggle, trying to get through the year with the straw you've got," he said.

Talking about the house they are currently working on in Postcombe, Fellows said the owners had been waiting "well over two years".

"We have enough to complete it now because the new harvest is out but then everyone jumps on the straw which causes it to run out again."

Pike said the shortage was causing thatchers to lose out on work completely.

"I know thatchers who had three of four months off," he said.

Fellows said it was frustrating because the demand was there.

"We're in Thame so we're rich with thatch around here and we have loads of cottages booked in, we just can't get the straw."

A Historic England spokesperson said that, wherever possible, it "supports the continued use of authentic thatching materials and traditional techniques on listed buildings".

"We understand that periodic shortages of thatching straw can make sourcing traditional material extremely challenging, and we have been engaging closely with the sector on these issues over recent years," the spokesperson added.

Guidance on its website shows it "recognises the need for flexibility in times of severe material shortage".

It said: "Where detailed evidence shows that the usual thatching straw is genuinely unavailable... appropriate alternative thatch materials may be temporarily acceptable to ensure the historic buildings most in need can be repaired and protected.

"Our guidance, ongoing research and support to the sector aim to safeguard the craft, support traditional materials, skills, growers and thatchers, and help keep historic buildings weather-tight while work continues to strengthen the long-term resilience of thatching material supply."