Devon master thatcher James W. Davies, is a member of master craftsmen and aims to provide a high quality thatching service but at a fair price. Through thatching your roof a guarantee is issued with annual inspections.

James takes great pride in ensuring that you, the client are 100% percent satisfied with the thatched roof and how the work has been carried out.

J.W.Davies Master Thatchers use two types of reed for thatch, these are water reed and wheat. There are also two types of ridges that can be created which include; Block Pattern Decorative Ridges and Flush Patt Ridges.


The firm will not only craft a stunning roof but will also provide a friendly and efficient service ensuring that the premises is left undamaged and in perfect condition.

Thatch Surveys and Survey Reports.

When buying a thatched home it is important to realise the costs involved for maintaining a thatched roof. Many thatched houses have been maintained in a suitable manner and it could be that with only minimal work on the ridge every 10 years the roof would last for up to 60 years. However this is dependant on many factors which a thatcher is all too familiar with.

A thatched roof inspection includes:-

Inspection of Rafters: Checking for course marking, full ridge inspection, ledger work inspection and a full survey of the roof surface checking for wear, bowing, seepage and loose laying. Where repairs have been made an inspection will be made to ensure its affectivity.

A simple survey will tell you what work needs doing in the near future and what works would be needed in the future. With this knowledge it is a simple matter to plan and possibly negotiate on any purchase price.

Decorative Ridges

Different considerations apply in the re-thatching of an old building and one of recent date and it is probably fair to say that a house built prior to the 19th Century requires good plain workmanship without too much embellishment.

Thatched Roof Waterproofing

One of the common misconceptions with thatch is the idea that it absorbs large amounts of water. Thatch is quite waterproof, the water is transferred down the roof from stem to stem until it drops from the cave. It is the steep pitches associated with thatched roofs that allow for the water to be shed at a very fast rate.