
Listening to a Wiltshire thatcher on the radio the other day I was reminded of all the hidden treasures I have found in roofs over the years. Generations ago of course there was much to be done to ward off witches and bad spirits. The cross spars on the ridges were a defence and the shape of the peaks were to allow the spirits to exit your house swiftly. The circular buildings and roofs of the Roseland peninsula in Cornwall were built to prevent witches gathering in corners.
We have found carefully wrapped mummified cats, an owl and otters feet nailed to the A-frames. More recent stashes were a Dads Army cache of live ammunition and a hand grenade which caused the whole village to be evacuated while the bomb disposal lot dealt with it
I have found an old bed frame and a bicycle frame used as part of the roof structure, and you’ll remember last year we found a whole roof perfectly preserved beneath the newer one. And once we uncovered a whole 12 foot square room completely hidden and unknown to the client
Mostly these days it’s nests of birds, hornets and wasps we find. The Wiltshire thatcher hides a time capsule in each of his roofs as I used to and maybe I should again, the magic of a fragment of time, caught in a box for someone else to find.