In Europe there are a number of thatch raw materials that are very popular with Thatchers
. These range from local and imported water reeds to the more conventional wheat and longstraw materials.
Water Reed Thatching Material
The most popular thatching raw materials in the UK and large parts of Mainland Europe are known as Norfolk Reed and Continental Water Reed Both are extremely hardy and have the longest lifespan out of all the thatch raw materials used in Europe. Another water reed that is often used in Europe is the imported Cape Reed that grows in South Africa. This reed is known as the best thatching raw material in the world and is used to build thatch roofs and thatch roof products such as umbrellas and thatch tiles to be used in the harsh South African climate. This type of water reed is also generally straighter and less rounded looking than the other water reed thatching raw materials.
Wheat Reed Thatching Material
There are a number of names used to refer to wheat reed and these include Combed Wheat Reed and Wheat Straw. This reed thatch raw material is produced when cutting wheat with a binder then putting it through a process called stooking while it is still in the field and then finally storing the wheat reed until it is put through a threshing machine. This threshing machine is used simply to remove grains from the wheat reed. The wheat reed that this left resembles straw and is bundled together and now ready to be used for thatching.
Longstraw Thatching Material
Longstraw Thatching material is similar to Wheat Reed except for the fact that it is produced differently once harvested in the field. This is because it is made into a longstraw bed and then drawn into yealms. This creates a more shaggy appearance in the final thatching product
It must be noted that very few modern day Thatchers have been trained to use longstraw, so this is not very often used as a thatching raw material in the UK and Europe.
Heather,Turf, Sedge, Rye Straw and Veldt Grass Thatching Material
Except for Veld Grass which is a recent addition to the European Thatching raw materials list all of the above are historically known as traditional thatch raw materials. They are extremely difficult to source inside of Europe and most suppliers are found outside of the EU and are subject to import restrictions.