Thatching was popular in early days as the walls were not designed or made to take enormous roof weight. While wheat straw was common in south of England, reeds were in East Anglia. As transport facilities became available, cheap slate could be brought in from where it was abundant and cheap to any part in Britain. Mechanised farming resulted in making wheat straw unusable for thatching. These beautiful houses were seen while passing a small village near Aylesbury, Buckinghamshire.
Hex nets can prevent some of the damages unknowingly brought in by animals and birds. But what about the natural effects? Repairing and maintaining a thatched house in a good state costs lot of money.
MyRefractions 
We lived in a thatched cottage when I was growing up. People driving by on summer weekends used to stop and photograph it – not too much of a problem unless you were out sunbathing in the garden! House Sparrows used to steal the thatch for their nests too.
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Quite interesting to read about the thatched cottage! Next time I will watch-out for sunbathers, maybe 🙂 And the sparrows… they are the same everywhere, aren’t they?
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