At last! After years of waiting, both the photo and a scanner have been in the same place at the same time. So here it is, the proof you've been holding your breath for...the wildly exciting thatched walls.

Historians remain undecided as to the over-riding cause of the "thatchers' madness" of 1103.

After the Great Thatch Shortage of 1102, the thatch producers massively overcompensated, resulting in the Great Superfluous Thatch Problem of 1103. With this huge excess of thatch, and no more houses to decorate with the golden straw, the thatchers of Blewbury reacted dramatically, suddenly producing thatched birdhouses, thatched trees, thatched children, and, of course, thatched walls. Some thatchers even went to the extreme of thatched thatch. A few historians argue that all this was purely due to the thatchers' sheer love of thatching. However, others point to the evidence of in-breeding within Blewbury at that time, and also to the proven manic and involuntary actions of a thatch-crazed thatcher when faced with an overly large stock of thatch. Much of the true extent of the thatching madness has, alas, been lost in the mists of time. We are privileged though, to have retained our impressive thatched walls.

An Actual Serious Bit

OK, so I confess to perhaps taking the mick out of Blewbury and its thatched walls just a leetle bit. But the thatched walls (more properly called 'cob walls') are actually extremely rare; I understand that they may possibly be the only examples of medieval domestically built walls in the country (build on original Saxon foundations). These things have been around for hundreds and hundreds of years, and they were built by hand, effectively out of mud, chalk and thatch. Not a bad effort, really. Anyway, the point of this is, the walls apparently have an indefinite lifetime, providing that the thatch is kept in good repair (ie, replaced when necessary). If the thatch disintegrates, so do the walls beneath. This is happening to one of the walls in Blewbury - the only one which isn't 'owned' and maintained by anybody specific. The 'Cob Wall Fund' (I kid you not) are committed to looking after and maintaining this wall for future generations, and these fine folk need to raise approximately four and a half thousand pounds by the end of 2000 in order to replace the thatch. As I'm sure you can appreciate, in a little village, getting that kind of money from people simply through kind donations is a huge task. So, anybody reading this out there in cyberland feeling generous? Have you found this page because your relatives/ancestors once lived in Blewbury? Wouldn't it make you feel good to know that you've done your bit for keeping a truly historic relic around for people in the future to continue laughing at? OK, and for them to continue feeling fond and proud of the fact that it's a memory of Blewbury's long past? If anybody does want to help, I know that all donations, large or small, will be very gratefully received. The details of who to get in touch with are here for anyone who wants to help. Thank you. Normal irreverent service will hereby be resumed.

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