subject: A Backtrack on the History of Thatching [print this page] A Backtrack on the History of Thatching A Backtrack on the History of Thatching
Have you ever seen a house with a roof made of thatch? Thatching may seem to be a thing for the rich in the urban or a usual stuff for those in the rural; however, what everyone barely knows is that the practice and craft dates back hundreds of years ago in England.
Thatching is a very communal art and tradition in England. Almost all the houses during the British Bronze Age have roofs made of thatches. During those times, people became interested in using lightweight materials like grass and straw because the walls of their houses cannot carry heavy components for roofing. It is for this purpose that the art and practice of thatching was created.
Thatching is a thing of the less fortunate in England. However, as years passed by, wealthy people started to imitate it and thatched their roofs to make their houses more pleasing to the eyes. In the early 12th century, 6 acres of rushes were used to roof the manor and halls of the Norman castle at Pevensey. Later on, painters used portraits of thatched cottages in their artworks to portray romanticism in the 19th century.
Thatching began to deteriorate in the advent of British industrialization. When railways were developed during the Victorian age, transportation of slates became cheaper; hence, making the material reachable to almost everyone around the country. This made roofing out of thatches less affordable to some. Moreover, the use of machineries in agriculture produced wheat straws that are inappropriate for thatching. Nonetheless, the craft of thatching still continues until now. There are actually roofing companies in Miami, outlets provide thatching services) which offer roofs made of thatches.
The authenticity and sheer brilliance in thatching applied as roofing in miami fl and other places) attracted a lot of home owners to convert their homes to such design. Thatched roofs are preferred because of their artistry and style that adds to better house architecture.
History of thatched roofing companies in Miami provide good thatch materials) in modern England is evident in a wrecked round hut at Shearplace Hall in Dorsetin. In the Fiji islands, thatching is used by the Kikuyu tribes to cover their huts for dwelling. Apparently, thatching of roofs is still practiced in the different parts of the world.
