Master Thatcher, New Forest
Steven Hewlett and his brothers are the third generation of their family to work as master thatchers.Call Steve today on 01980 611 880 or 07790 020 917
Member of the National Society of Master Thatchers
Traditional roof thatching services in the New Forest
The New Forest, covering an area of around 566 square kilometres across southwest Hampshire and southeast Wiltshire, is one of England’s most charming and popular areas of natural beauty. With a national park at its core, containing quaint traditional villages such as Lyndhurst, Brockenhurst, Ashurst, Beaulieu, and Burley. We cover the BH21, BH23, BH24, SO40, SO41, SO42, SO43, SO45 and SP5 and SP6 postcode areas.
There are numerous thatched buildings in the New Forest area (many of them listed buildings), and when they need repairs or maintenance Steven Hewlett and his brothers – the third generation of a family of Master Thatchers to work in the New Forest – are on hand with their expertise.
All styles of New Forest thatching
Steven Hewlett Thatchers Ltd. are based close to the New Forest in Salisbury, Wiltshire, and their expert thatching services are in demand across the south and west of England.
Steven has been a thatcher in the New Forest and the area for 40 years, and he and his family have a passion for retaining the historic character of local thatched buildings by retaining the traditional thatching methods, material, detailing and styles. In the New Forest there are vernacular thatching styles in different localities, such as plain flush ridges or elaborate block cut patterned ridges.
As well as being highly skilled masters of their craft, Steven Hewlett Thatchers are very knowledgeable about the authentic regional styles of thatch in the New Forest, and are extremely competent in restoring and preserving the thatch on the area’s historic buildings. They also undertake re-thatching and thatching of new builds in the New Forest and surrounding area.
We offer our thatching services in across the New Forest including the following locations:
- Thatcher New Forest
- Thatcher Lyndhurst
- Thatcher Brockenhurst
- Thatcher Ashurst
- Thatcher Beaulieu
- Thatcher Burley
Thatching with varied materials
Steven Hewlett is experienced at working with thatched roofs made of various materials such as long straw, combed wheat straw (the most commonly used material nowadays), water reed and Norfolk reed. It’s interesting to note that thatching in the New Forest area has three distinct geographical zones which differ in regard to the type of thatch used. The coastal zone is traditionally characterised by the use of water reed thatching; the north western part (to the south of Salisbury) is predominated by long straw; and the rest of the New Forest area is covered by combed wheat reed thatch.
Thatch roofs are renowned for their longevity (they’ve been known to last 50 years or more), but to keep them in top condition for as long as possible they need to be regularly checked and surveyed by a professional thatching company like Steven Hewlett Thatchers Ltd. Weathering can lead to depressions, vertical lines or thatch slippage, which need to be addressed as soon as possible to prevent the roof failing. Cleaning of thatched roofs in the New Forest is also recommended to deter and remove moss growth.
Steven Hewlett Thatchers Ltd. offer an annual thatched roof inspection service in the New Forest, and are also on call to fit thatched roofs with wire netting protection against the infiltration of vermin, and/or for installing fire-retardant barriers.
We provide thatching services and thatched roof repairs across the South West of England including thatching in Dorset, thatching in Hampshire, thatching in the New Forest, thatching in Somerset & thatching in Wiltshire.
If you are fortunate enough to own a thatched building in New Forest and surrounding Lyndhurst SO, Brockenhurst SO, Lymington SO, Beaulieu SO, Rngwood BH, New Milton BH, Minstead SO, Sway SO postcode areas or are planning a new build with a thatched roof, get in touch with Steven Hewlett to chat about your roof.