THE THATCHED SCRAW ROOF

There is a line in a poem that goes "And they shall know me by the monuments I leave behind" The scraw roof is a monument to the ingenious methods of roof construction of the very people who left this island either by choice or inforced exile. A Scraw roof is the only reason a Thatched Building should be listed, not the thatching material or the fact that the building is Thatched. They are the only reason a thatched building should be listed.

"They shall know me by the monuments I leave behind"

This is a line from a poem which some people cannot grasp the concept of, with regards to what they perceive to be mud/sod on split bog oak pole rafters, i.e. the SCRAW roof, which is found under a layer of thatch, may that be straw or the premier of all meterials Water Reed, scalloped on in the traditional manner.So for further clarity as to the knowledge imparted by this structure. (Copyright reserved Master Thatcher, Mark Taggart)

The Scraw Roof supporting a layer of thatch is actually a forgotten Celtic Warhorse, a "fire eater", a veteran which tells its own story about our ancestors and their living conditions and fears through the development and use of this undervalued structure. It is in fact a two-way fire barrier, on the hand protecting the inside domestic fire from setting alight to the underside of the thatch via the smoke hole/chimney in the roundhouse. On the other hand, it protected the timber structure which it sits on from collapse during external attack, an attack which might result in the surface layer of thatch being set alight. The scraw would hold out against this fire and prevent collapse, providing extra time for rescue.

Other insights include the positioning of warning beacons on family land such a small round house structure whose outline is still visible on the ground, over looking the valley of Omagh and linked visually to other sites, gives up her sectets once you apply a scraw roof to her structure i.e. the round house's very roof was her beacon, lit to warn of impending cattle raiders with the knowledge the scraw roof would minimise structural damage caused by any fire.

If I was allowed to apply poetic licence then J.F.K.s speach may have been a geetic memory, in that if you replace country and insert clan, then

  "ask not what your clan will do for you, rather what you will do for your clan"

Then would burning the roof on your own thatched home to warn the rest of the clan in the valley of attack come pretty close ? It also seems common sense that during an attack by cattle raiders, nobody would mistake that the caca had hit the fan when a beacon was lit, but through co-ordinating landmarks, i.e. houses any rogue bonfires would not be mistaken as a red alert but a controlled sacrificial roof fire on a beacon would.

For physical evidence with us in the 21st century then the recently opened Dan Winters Museum in Loughgall, Co.Armagh still shows scorch marks on one of its ridge boards, testifying to having called upon the fire eating scraw during the battle of the diamond in 1798. This structure is of mud wall construction and if the scraw had have failed would have caused the collapse of the roof structure causing the mud walls to blow outwards.

For those seeking one of their own, seek out cottages with tin on them, chances are the War Horse is sleeping beneath. However, under no circumstances seek the grant system, let her sleep until such times as that "Marie Celeste" has a crew.

In conclusion there are less than 120 official scraw roofs left in Northern Ireland under threat not from cattle raiders but none other than The Historical Building DOE!

Mrs Angela Smith
Minister for the Environment
DOE Headquarters
Clarence Court 10-18
Adalaide Street
Belfast
BT2 8GB

21 April 2005

Dear Minister,

Attached to this letter is a Thatching tool called a Legget, that was once vital to my work in Thatching roofs in Ireland. I have had no use for this Legget, due to the fact that for over three years I have refused to Thatch any Buildings as a means of protest against the on going destruction of the Listed Thatched Scraw roofs in Northern Ireland.

The Scraw roof is the actual structure upon which the Thatch sits, it comprises of split Bog Oak pole rafters with a layer of sod/lawn turf. This Structure is unique to the identity of what constitutes an authentic thatched dwelling in Ulster,i.e., you won’t find it in England or Wales or for that matter any where else in mainland Europe.

It is my conviction that The EHS/Historical Buildings DOE are incompetent in the protection of this ancient and unique structure: I have witnessed numerous Scraw roofs being ripped off and replaced throughout the years I have been Thatching.

I have had questions asked in Stormont on the subject of the Scraw and the then Minister for the Environment referred to an on going second survey that was been carried out, that was in 2002.

It is my firm belief that no information was gathered on the Scraw and would therefore ask for an immediate inquiry as to the true number of Scraws left beneath the Listed Thatched buildings in Northern Ireland.

I would also ask you to implement a plan for the removal of the remaining 120-135 Thatched buildings in Northern Ireland from the care of the EHS/Historical Buildings DOE NI and the setting up of a task force, to not only oversee their protection but to put back the Scraws that the EHS/HB DOE NI have paid for the removal of.

I would also recommend the adoption of a clear specification detailing a standard depth of thatching material with regards Thatching in Northern Ireland.

My last meeting with Mr Michael Coulter, now the Director of Built Heritage, which was minuted and of which I still have not received a copy, left me in no doubt that the Thatched Scraw roof is heading for extinction .

I would be more than happy to meet with yourself to clarify and expand upon the points above.

Roof Construction:-

Today there are materials and techniques not available to earlier generations. When a roof has to be replaced in its entirety a number of choices will be available that are not traditional. In the case of a listed building the form of the roof construction may be an important factor in the decision to list the building. In these cases, the new roof must be framed in the same way as the roof that it replaces. A considerable number of the original roof members may be reusable if only after some minor repair. If in doubt about the structual form of the roof contact HMB.

Roof Construction:-

PHB advises that repairs to traditional roofs should be as conservative as possible. The construction of a roof is an important part of the historic value to be derived from thatched buildings, which often contain some of our oldest joinery. There are many examples of traditional roof structures repaired or supplemented by extra supports. This was a traditional practice because it was much cheaper and convenient than complete replacement. Modern techniques extend the possibilities of repair. In the rare circumstances that a roof has to be replaced in its entirety a number of choices will be available that are not traditional. In the case of a listed building the form of the roof construction may be an important factor in the decision to list the building. In these cases, the new roof must be framed in the same way as the roof that it replaces. A considerable number of the original roof members may be reusable if only after some minor repair. If in doubt about the structural form of the roof contact PHB.