A ONE of a kind Georgian cottage has just gone on the market in Herefordshire with an unusual extra selling point - a brand new thatched roof.

Foley Cottage, in Tarrington, between Hereford and Ledbury, has just had its roof re-thatched by master thatcher, DJ Salter, and his team who have worked on many unusual buildings including Eastnor Castle.

The cottage has an asking price of over £195,000, and Steve Perry, of Nock Deighton estate agents, said it was a fascinating property.

“It’s an incredibly charming 17th century cottage,” he said. “The sitting room has a fabulous inglenook fireplace and every room is just full of character.

“It really is one of a kind, and with a brand new thatched roof we are expecting a lot of interest.”

Thatching is the most common roofing material in the world, popular for its insulation and sustainability. The traditional Herefordshire thatch uses long straw wheat and a new thatch will typically last for 25 to 30 years.

Darren Salter, who carried out the work on Foley Cottage, said: “When a house is re-thatched not all of the old material is replaced, only most of it.

“In some cases the original straw from hundreds of year ago still forms the underlying coat. The thatch should then be applied over the top as well as all edges so that only the new straw is visible.”

“I often see a second roof that is only visible once we’ve started work on top of the original roof, but it was unusual to see that at Foley Cottage even the replacement roof must have been about 100 years old. These houses were built to last.”

He added: “There are different styles of ridge on the top of the thatch. We prefer a symmetrical pattern on a smaller thatch like this one.

“The design is reminiscent of a bird with two sets of wings. Cutting it out requires great care – taking lots of measurements first.

“Each thatch is different. We love a challenge so often seek out more difficult thatches – you never know what you’re going to find when you visit a new property so there is a lot of anticipation and excitement when we first arrive. But it’s nice to do the simpler ones like Foley Cottage too.

“On this one we increased the pitch of the thatch on the porch to help make sure that the rain will run straight off the roof and replaced also all the lead flashing around the chimney.

“It’s possible to use concrete flashing but really lead is preferred because it adapts as the thatch settles over time. We treat every thatch like it is the masterpiece that we’ll be remembered for.

“We’re dependent on the weather and are used to working when it’s very cold. We can thatch when it’s raining but not when there’s a heavy downpour. We generally work any days when it doesn’t rain, including straight through weekends, because we don’t know when the next thunderstorm might arrive.

“Once you fall in love with thatching that’s it – you’ll be doing it for decades, working with friends for your entire career. It’s nice because it’s an industry that is still dominated by small but hardworking family businesses which is quite rare nowadays, truly a cottage industry.”

For more information about Foley Cottage, contact Steve Perry at Nock Deighton on 01568 611661.