Chaumiere - Normandy - France

by Paolo Signorini

Title

Chaumiere - Normandy - France

Artist

Paolo Signorini

Medium

Photograph - Photography

Description

Parc Naturel Régional des Boucles de la Seine Normande

Chaumière (Thatched Cottage)

Imagine a roof made entirely of vegetable matter : that is the originality of thatch ! On the flat arable plains, wheat or rye straw was the usual thatching material and in the marshy valleys along the Seine, reed was used. Today, reed is the favoured material in all areas, and is traditionally cut in winter before being dried and bound into sheaves.Thatching requires reeds which are young and of small diameter.The thatcher first lays a cover of hazel strips onto the roof timbers. This is called the “clayonnage” and is the surface onto which the sheaves of reed or straw are fixed. The thatcher starts at the base of the roof and works up.This is the traditional method in Normandy. The sheaves which are 25 cm in diameter are layed side by side with
the ear of the straw, or the reed head, facing skywards and traditionally are bound together using wicker or rye grass. Today galvanised wire is commonly used for this task. In this way, starting from the bottom, a solid base is formed
on which the rest of the thatch is supported and the thickness of the entire thatched roof determined. The thatcher works progressively towards the apex of the roof,packing the sheaves of reed, beating them tightly with a baton and cutting at intervals with shears to control length and neatness of surface. The job is completed by binding the sheaves to one another and sealing the apex of the roof with clay which is planted with irises, the roots of which reinforce the earth apex and provide the required level of humidity.Lastly, the thatcher cuts narrow drainage canals, and “combs” the thatch. The slope of the roof needs to be steep, about 55 to 60°, to allow easy drainage of rain water.It was often recommended that thatching be replaced at intervals of 18 years. However, thatched roofs last much longer in theory, 30 to 40 years for wheat or rye straw, and up to half a century for reed.

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January 30th, 2022

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