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Avebury & the Marlborough Downs

Bad news at the Barge

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Harryshill H
Harryshill Oct 24, 2012 16:36:33
Replying to juamei

juamei wrote:
Harryshill wrote:
£80,000 seems a lot of money for replacement thatch. I reckon they must be thinking of using reed rather than what would have been originally used, or have I got that wrong.
Looking about online 20-25k seems a typical price for a 4 bed house. Looking at google maps the barn seems at least 3-4 times the size of a 4 bed house, so 80k could be a good deal...
I think you right. Using a length of 40 meters and width of 7 meters X 2 x £150 per square meter, I came up with a cost of £84,000. obviously the sizes are estimates using Google Earth.

But then the Barn is a simpler structure than four houses and it would cost less to do one building than four separate buildings.

So £80,000 would seem a fair price. Depending on what material is used. I think I'm right in saying they have to replace, like for like, unless they get special permission.

L Littlestone
Littlestone Oct 24, 2012 17:05:50
Replying to Harryshill

The info I have on this is a bit sketchy. As it stands the £80,000 is for a patch up job at the back – that sounds about the right amount of dosh required. A whole top-thatching (on the existing thatch) front and back has surely got to be a lot more though...

I can see the point of wanting to use the same thatching material from a conservation point of view but if we’re thinking long-term economics doesn’t it have to be Norfolk reed with a life span of some 60-80 years (I’m guessing here).

Let’s face it, if the thatch is straw that’s what was probably what the original owners of the barn could only afford – given the choice they would have gone for Norfolk reed surely (and it’s gotta be Norfolk reed, not some foreign imported crap substitute)!