Thatched Cottages,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

While I am sure there are thatched cottages all over Europe, they seem to be the essence of Engishness. When I think of Scotland I think of stone crofts rather than quaint cottages with straw roofs. It's not accurate by any means but its my own impression. When we were home once for a holiday we got to see some roof thatch being repaired. It's not a dying art. There are still very many thatched roofs in the British Isles. There are as many patterns and designs as there are cottages. Wikipedia says this......... Good quality straw thatch can last for more than 50 years when applied by a skilled thatcher. Traditionally, a new layer of straw was simply applied over the weathered surface, and this ‘spar coating’ tradition has created accumulations of thatch over 7’ (2.1 m) thick on very old buildings. Over 250 roofs in Southern England have base coats of thatch that were applied over 500 years ago, providing direct evidence of the types of materials that were used for thatching in the medieval period. Almost all of these roofs are thatched with wheat, rye, or a 'maslin' mixture of both. Medieval wheat grew to almost 6 feet (1.8 m) tall in very poor soils and produced durable straw for the roof and grain for baking bread. Can you imagine the insulation that a thatch roof gives?. Each straw is hollow so it would be hot in winter, holding in the heat, and cool in summer. The stone walls would be cool yet hold the heat. Maybe we could learn a lot from the ancient ways? and, it just had to be "green".... Here are some pretty cottages to give you some inspiration. Don't worry about birds or vermin because the thatch wears a hairnet of sorts that will keep all the critters at bay. Whatever else it is, the English thatched cottage will always inspire romantic pictures of tranquility and the past, even though they are very much modern and thriving today.