CambsThatchers - Clive Dodson Master Thatchers

We've managed to hit the headlines this week with the work we have done bringing the Cherry House in Werrington back to all its original glory with a full restoration of its roof. Well done guys superb work, once again.

Peterborough fine dining restaurant reopening - with a new roof The three month lockdown has caused a great deal of uncertainty for everyone across Peterborough, not least for those in the city’s hospitality sector.

Check out our NEW website & spread the word.

https://dodsonthatching.co.uk

Dodson Thatchers – Cambridgeshire’s finest Master Thatchers – Master Thatchers through the ages with more than 90 years experience

It's almost that time of year again when charities get that ever needed boost to the coffers and this year we are doing our bit with our very own Pudsey Bear. Currently, our Pudsey is sitting in a very prominent location and closer to Christmas we are going to auction him off to the highest bidder with all proceeds going to charity. If you see Pudsey on our travels give him a wave and stay tuned for when we are going to auction him off.

PS... Lets see who's first to spot Pudsey and let us know where you've seen him.

Here is a lovely traditional Tudor property we've recently replaced with a new full pattern straw thatch.

The Lord apparently made the world in 7 days... & he only managed that because he left us to do put the roof on his house.

This is a traditional thatch roof with new Sedge Ridge and a repair to the rest of the roof.

I can here some of you thinking…

Wow how great must it be to be a thatcher working up there in the glorious sunshine, wind in your hair sun on your back. All I get is a dodgy air con pumping other peoples fumes, and the only sun I get sits in the break room and covers me in ink…

I wanna be a thatcher, it looks idyllic...

“Working with your hands crafting traditional natural materials”…

“sitting on top of an old cottage, looking out across the rolling English country side…

“breathing in fresh air and basking in the wonderful sunshine”…

And yup it’s wonderful for about 3 months of the year… & then you turn up one morning and snow is what greets you.

At Clive Dodson Thatchers, we don’t turn around and head off home at the sight of a rain cloud that might arrive in 3hrs time…. We’re not builders.!

No matter the weather we will be there when we say and complete when we say we will.

Well Done Luke bloody awesome achievement.

Glad to say Luke completed the Marathon in 5hrs & 4mins. The man's a sadist he just told me he's doing a 20m run with over 200 obstacle's in 3 weeks time... "Jesus, good luck with that one".

Today see's our favourite master thatcher Luke take on a challenge of a different type. He's running the London Marathon all in aid of Bowel Cancer UK. He's currently still going and almost at the 35k mark & running 11 minute miles which quite frankly is amazing. Keep it going Luke we're all cheering you on.

If you'd like to donate towards Luke's efforts then why not visit his JustGiving page and donate towards Bowel Cancer UK.

https://www.justgiving.com/Luke-Howell3?utm_source=Whatsapp

Read Luke's story Luke is raising money to help Bowel Cancer UK

Well it's nearly the end of another year and once again the all the guys at Clive Dodson Thatchers have done us proud this year. Each year the guys just get better & better and have produced some absolutely stunning work. Here's one of the latest jobs the guys finished up.

Here's a small selection of some of the great work they've produced over the year.

A lovely complete re-thatch in Great Gransden and also a new ridge along with some repair work to a neighbouring property, before & after pictures... and yes that is a witches broom stick leaning against the chimney on the re-thatched property

Check out this beautiful job some of the guys just completed. It's a long straw re thatch with a flushed ridge. Certainly restores the beauty of this cottage.

The guys have been busy this month... anybody guess where the latest job is before the full reveal.. We've edited the image to remove the name but can anybody guess where this is...

Here's one of our latest jobs to a wonderful looking cottage. We're sure you'll agree the transformation made by the guys replacing the ridge.

Are you looking for a change of scenery... Dodson Thatchers require an experienced Thatcher to join our hard working crew. If your interested and your motivated to work hard for great rate of pay contact us here, by email or give the office or our mobile number a call.

Office: 01487 710520 Mobile: 07860 288542

Well it's all go this week.

Following on from the renovation of the Royal residence of Princess Alexandra in Richmond Park the Thatched House Lodge this month the guys have been entrusted to work on the reputedly oldest inn in the UK potentially dating back to 460. Overlooking the Great Ouse river, The Old Ferry Boat can be found in Holywell in Cambridgeshire. A compete new ridge and repair in straw should keep the place dry for another couple of decades at least.

Legend has it that a young girl named Juliet committed su***de near the church in the time of Edward the Confessor. The story runs that she committed the act having been jilted in love by the local woodcutter, and was thus buried on the banks of the Ouse at the ferry crossing point in AD 1050. It is claimed the Old Ferry Boat Inn public house was built on top of her grave. A stone slab can be found set into the floor on the south west side of the pub. No wonder the guys didn't fancy pulling a night shift!!!

Working on a building with this ones magnitude of history only goes to outline how trusted & skilled our thatchers are and the quality of workmanship is second to none.

They say that the best advertisement of your work is your last job, our past 2 thatches have been a Royal Estate & the Oldest Inn in the country what more can we say.

Over the years we've had some very important commissions.

This week we've been privileged to work on a Royal residence of Princess Alexandra in Richmond Park overlooking London.

The building we are thatching is small 18th-century two-room thatched summer house from which the main house takes its name, the Thatched House Lodge.

The Thatched House Lodge is a Grade II-listed building in Richmond Park in the London Borough of Richmond, Since 1963 it has also been a royal residence, being leased from the Crown Estate by Princess Alexandra, The Honourable Lady Ogilvy (born Princess Alexandra of Kent and, until his death in 2004, her husband Sir Angus Ogilvy. The main house has six reception rooms and six bedrooms, and it stands in four acres of grounds.

The residence was originally built as two houses in 1673 for two Richmond Park Keepers, as Aldridge Lodge. It was enlarged, possibly by William Kent, in 1727 as a home for Sir Robert Walpole. The two houses were joined in 1771 by Sir John Soane and renamed Thatched House Lodge. It had also been known as Burkitt's Lodge.

The house was used as a grace and favour residence by various members of the Royal Household including General Sir Edward Bowater, and General Lynedoch Gardiner, respectively equerry to the Albert, Prince Consort and to Queen Victoria. Sir Frederick Treves retired to the house after he successfully operated on King Edward VII's appendix in 1902. Edward VII awarded use of the house to Sir Edmund Monson on his retirement from Her Majesty's Diplomatic Service in 1905. Thatched House Lodge ceased to be a grace and favour property in 1927.

Thatched House Lodge was the home of Wing Commander Sir Louis Greig (equerry to King George VI when he was Duke of York), who was deputy Ranger of Richmond Park from 1932. It was then acquired by the 5th Duke of Sutherland. U.S. General Dwight D. Eisenhower was allotted a suite there during the Second World War.

Quite a place and we feel very privileged to have been tasked & trusted to work on such an historic property.

Check some British Pathé News reel with the building in the back ground.

http://www.britishpathe.com/video/princess-alexandra-at-home

Thatch roof's can seem very complicated, when in fact they are exactly the opposite and that's why they have been used for many many centuries when skills & materials were much simpler. Here you can see that the simple base is a membrane and battons and the thatch is applied in bundles around the features of the roof. This is built up in layers until the required thickness is achieved.

Typical work life of a thatcher... Just as we slip in to our mankini's & sunnies after eventually thawing out from winter does the weather go and do a U-turn on us. This is May for crying out loud.

Here is a house we ridged around 18 years ago. It was due to be re-ridged which we have now completed. And it's back to being like new. A really beautiful property.

Clive (the gaffa) putting in the wooden spits and rods in the ridge. Another hour and it's then ready to be cut out and finished off. Top job boss man.

Check out this Reed Barn with a block cut ridge we've recently completed.

Latest job see's the guys working on a thatch they replaced 17 years ago. Harsh weather has caused damage to the ridge which the guys are just completing and then it's on to the next job and enjoy the sunshine.

Everyone says it must be lovely to work outside in the glorious summer months, and yes it is.

Nobody seems to say that in the winter though... & I wonder why!

Check out the completed White Lodge in Attleborough with it's new thatch. An amazing transformation.

Here's the guys hard at work at the White Lodge in Attleborough.

https://www.facebook.com/WhitelodgeNR17/?fref=ts

The start of a new job and the guys have erected the scaffold & all the safety equipment in place.
You can see the damaged sections on the right hand side of the roof that are need of replcaement.

Check back shortly too see how the new roof will look when completed.
www.dodsonthatchers.co.uk

www.dodsonthatchers.co.uk

Here's a great example of how the replacement of a thatch can breathe life into an period property. This semi detached building has a new roof on the right that we just completed. The home on the left is not quite ready for a replacement, but it shows the contrast and effect of replacing a thatch makes aesthetically not to mention the improvements to improved insulation and protection from the elements.
If you have any questions or considering replacing your thatch roof don't hesitate to contact us for a free no obligation quote.

www.dodsonthatchers.co.uk