The Long Straw

There is a house not far from us that since we moved in the thatched roof has gone from looking dodgy to being covered in tarpaulins. Recently the replacement thatch has been started. This is a couple of the straw bales (if that is what they are called) ready for use. B&W seemed to work best.
Thatching is one of the oldest surviving building crafts, although its history has only recently become a focus for research. Thatch was the most common roof covering in almost every part of Britain in the medieval period. The best quality thatching straw is grown from older wheat varieties that produce tall, strong-stemmed straw without the use of artificial fertilisers. Excessive nitrogen, whether artificial or organic, encourages stem growth which weakens the stem walls and reduces its durability when used as thatch.