A recent tour of Dorset to the renowned village of Milton Abbas* with its thatched houses so typical of the area here as well as many other parts of England, each having their own regional styles. This ‘chocolate box’ architecture once the choice of the poor is now only for the wealthy since thatching is a much rarer skill and hence a niche market, making these rooves very expensive to restore and maintain.
*Known as Middleton since Saxon times, but in 18th century the Earl of Dorchester Joseph Damer decided to remove the existing houses in the town because they spoilt his view. He waited till leases ran out and in the 1780s he demolished the existing cottages and replaced them with new ones further away. He also moved the almshouses. The new settlement was renamed Milton Abbas. A History of Milton Abbas
Summer has arrived and the grasses are high but thatch is primarily sourced from wheat straw or water reeds although:-
“in some coastal, heathland, and upland areas of England, the use of local wild plants such as marram grass, sedge, bulrush, bracken, heather, and gorse persisted much longer than in lowland areas, ~ Historic England
PoetryPix 
We were surprised to come across a lot of thatched houses in Wiltshire on our recent visit. Our sat nav often decided to send us down the narrowest of lanes and unexpected hamlets. I had no idea it was so pretty as I had always thought of Wiltshire being where the army lads practice on the plains with their tanks!
this is near the Wiltshire border – so many parts of England though have these iconic buildings – the Fens, Cotswolds etc
So much texture on those roofs! It seems all the old crafts have become too expensive and rare for the common folk. And still, the craftspeople don’t get paid what their work is worth. It’s a strange world we live it.
I like the geometry and the light and dark contrast in your photo. (K)
thank you Kerfe – I felt the higher contrast mono would show these off best
as for earnings the thatcher earns as (s)he learns – from apprentice to master as per the old skills
It’s a good way.
The only place I’ve been that had thatched roofs was the Republic of South Korea (if I say ‘Korea’ people ask “North or south?”). Their workmanship was nothing to compare to what you see.
very interesting Charley – it’s whatever available local resource can be found to keep the shelter warm and dry without regard to aesthetics until there are wealthier peaceful times to tidy into this kind of craftsmanship which requires regular upkeep
parts of Scotland and Denmark for example use seaweed and Japan too has a few remaining examples – see link below
https://www.bbc.com/travel/article/20230518-the-masters-of-a-5000-year-old-craft
I would have assumed you had not gone North!