John Kenward – Master Thatcher

Our History

Text from the article below:
Working on the new thatched roof of Beckenham's old chapel proved to be an especially interesting task for master thatcher John Kenward (right) as he was quite literally following in his father's footsteps. It was John's father Jim (above), who was responsible for the previous re-roofing of the chapel in 1979. The building is now used as an office by the estates department. It has a clock made by anthony Ireland of Mile end in about 1770, which still keeps good time and strikes the hours on a bell in a small turret. Water reed from the Camargue in France is used for the roof as it id fine material and is thus easy to work it will take to completely re-thatch the chapel. The first task is to set one course of equal thickness, explained John. It is then a matter of marrying-up successive bundles of reeds and dressing them in so that there is a tightly compact and yet universally equal covering over the whole roof. Once the new roof is complete, a mesh netting will be placed over the thatch to protect it from birds. Although thatch may be considered an old fashioned method of roofing material, John did point out that even new buildings are now turning to thatch especially as it can be treated to give more protection against fire.

Water-reed cased over
only 100mm thick

Thatching a former medieval tithe barn

Ashdown Forest Golf Club.
Thatched in heather.

My Father, my Uncle and my Grandfather at Hever.