Second, networks of canals and railways meant it was easier to transport heavy materials to more remote locations.Īnd finally, changes in agriculture meant straw wasn’t as widely available.
First, industrialisation meant roof tiles could be produced on much larger scales, making them more widely available. The industrial revolution dealt several more blows to thatched roofs. Many of the remaining examples we have of old thatched buildings come from this period or slightly later, showing just how good construction methods had become. In turn, this meant second stories on their homes and heavier, more permanent roofs.īut at the same time, better building techniques meant even thatched roofs could last longer and look better. You’d still see them on poorer buildings, but the wealthy switched to fancier materials, such as tiles.Īmong other things, the Tudors popularised bricks for construction, which meant buildings could be taller and could bear more weight. It was in the Tudor period that thatched roofs started to die off. While many of the main buildings would have tile roofs, less important or wealthy areas would use thatch.Īs castles took many years to build, thatchers would cover the half-built walls with reeds or straw in the winter to protect them from the weather. Thatch was even used on castles, both during and after construction. It helped provide insulation for what would otherwise be a pretty cold home.
After all, people needed roofs on their homes! At this point in history, rectangular buildings had become the norm, and it was common for roofs to almost reach the ground. In the Middle Ages, thatching was a worthy profession. These would also have thatched roofs, which, as you can imagine, were also huge. Some of their buildings were massive – there’s evidence of some being more than 23 x 79m. Thatch was still a common material for them, as evidenced by coins from the reign of Emperor Constans (4 th century).Īnglo Saxons in England continued to use much of the basic Iron Age design, although they moved towards rectangular buildings. The Romans popularised tile roofs, but only on important buildings. While the buildings changed shape, the basic construction materials stayed the same.
There wasn’t much significant change in thatched roofs for a good thousand years after the Iron Age. As you can imagine, finding archaeological evidence of things like reed and straw is pretty difficult. This puts it very firmly in the Mesolithic era, although it’s certainly possible that people were thatching buildings before then. It’s believed to have been built around 7,800BC, and there is evidence that its roof used turf and reed thatch. One of the earliest examples we have in the UK (and, indeed, the world) of a thatched building is Howick House in England. However, evidence of thatching dates back to the Neolithic period, around 6700 BC, as seen in the remains of a settlement at Çatalhöyük in modern-day Turkey. The Continued History of Thatched Roofsĭetermining the oldest ever thatched roof is challenging due to the organic nature of the materials used, which are prone to decay and do not preserve well over time.
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