The view over a valley of a tiny village with thatched（草盖的） roof cottages around a church; a drive through a narrow village street lined with thatched cottages painted pink or white; the sight over the rolling hills of a pretty collection of thatched farm buildings---these are still common sights in parts of England. Most people will agree that the thatched roof is an essential part of the attraction of the English countryside.
Thatching is in fact the oldest of all the building crafts practised in the British Isles(英伦诸岛). Although thatch has always been used for cottage and farm buildings, it was once used for castles and churches, too.
Thatching is a solitary(独自的) craft, which often runs in families. The craft of thatching as it is practised today has changed very little since the Middle Ages. Over 800 full-time thatchers are employed in England and Wales today, maintaining and renewing the old roofs as well as thatching newer houses. Many property owners choose thatch not only for its beauty but because they know it will keep them cool in summer and warm in winter.
In fact, if we look at developing countries, over half the world lives under thatch, but they all do it in different ways. People in developing countries are often reluctant to go back to traditional materials and would prefer modern buildings. However, they may lack the money to allow them to import the necessary materials. Their temporary mud huts with thatched roofs of wild grasses often only last six months. Thatch which has been done the British way last from twenty to sixty years, and is an effective defence against the heat .

观光一个山谷中的有茅草顶小屋围绕着教堂的小村庄；驾驶在两旁有粉红色或白色的茅草顶小屋的狭窄乡村街道；看看绵延起伏的山峦中聚集着的茅草顶农舍------这些仍旧通常是英格兰地区的风景。大部分人都会同意，茅草屋顶是英国乡村基本吸引人的事物。
在英伦诸岛，茅草屋顶其实是最古老的所有的建筑手法。虽然茅草屋顶一直用于小屋和农场舍，它也曾是用于城堡和教堂。
茅草屋顶是一项独特的手艺，通常在家庭操作。自中世纪以来，今天操作的茅草屋顶手艺变化得很少。今天有800多茅屋匠受雇于英格兰和威尔士，维修和更新旧的屋顶以及用茅草盖新房子。许多业主选择茅草屋顶不仅因为它的美丽，还因为他们知道它将让他们在夏季保持凉爽和在冬季保持温暖。
事实上，如果我们看看发展中国家，一半以上的世界生活在茅草屋檐下，但是他们都以不同的方式对待它。发展中国家的人们通常都不愿意再回到过去的传统材料和喜欢现代建筑。可是，他们可能没有足够的钱，让他们可以进口必要的材料。他们临时的杂草屋顶的泥屋往往只维持6个月。以英格兰方式做的茅草屋可延续二十至六十年，而且有效防热。