Westcountry

The character of our countryside is under threat from a crisis that's shaking the rafters of the thatching industry.

The wheat straw crops traditionally used by thatchers were ravaged by last year's wet summer, resulting in a shortage of supplies and a steep price hike.

The National Society of Master Thatchers (NSMT) says the shortage of straw means that there are not even enough stocks to repair existing thatch-roofed homes.

"The position following the very poor harvest this summer has now created a critical shortfall in the supply of cereal straw," said a spokesman.

Devon contains the greatest amount of historic thatch in the world with around 4,000 thatched buildings. Yet this is just a fraction of what once existed. Experts are concerned that the number of thatched buildings could decline further as home owners face long delays and much bigger bills to have their homes rethatched.

The situation has been made worse by local planners following English Heritage guidelines that replacement thatch on listed buildings must be the same material as the original.

The problem is that in recent years fewer farmers have grown the traditional varieties of long-stemmed wheat prized by thatchers because the modern strains of high-yield wheat are more profitable. Yet, these modern varieties are short-stemmed and unsuitable for thatching.

The NSMT has produced a paper urging conservation groups and planners to approve a cross between wheat and rye called triticale - which has been used for thatching for more than 30 years - as an alternative.

Marjorie Sanders, the NSMT chief executive, said: "Some councils are victimising thatchers. They're also now saying that they don't want to see roofs done with triticale but it is vital that conservation officers understand how serious the situation is and allow more flexibility."

One of the country's biggest growers of thatching straw, Bob West, who serves on the NSMT's executive council, said that English Heritage must become more flexible.

"It is entirely possible that within the next 10 years long-stemmed wheat will no longer be available because it is less profitable than other varieties. Straw thatching as we know it would disappear."