Since our great great-grandfather Sidney Beckingham and his son took the responsibility of our business in the early 1900s (as featured in ‘A Glimpse of Rockbourne 1900-1920, published in 1986), there have been several generations of thatchers in our family that have been thatching properties beautifully throughout Hampshire, Wiltshire, and Dorset, including Salisbury, Fordingbridge, The New Forest, and beyond.Our great great-grandfather was known as a freelance thatcher and he undertook and completed thatching jobs deemed too difficult or even impossible by other thatchers – something we try to maintain today as well.
Today, myself and my two sons Sam and Alex are proud to keep the tradition alive and continue to thatch properties in Wiltshire, Dorset, Hampshire and the surrounding areas. I’ve been a master thatcher for over 35 years, and my sons are trained to the same high standard.
Over the years, we have built a remarkable reputation with our clients for our family-friendly approach and our superior craftsmanship. It is this credibility which has led us to thatching houses for celebrities such as Sting (musician), Anthony Andrews (actor, Prime Minister in the Kings Speech), and the founder of McVities biscuits.
We were approached to help and advise the Hampshire Fire Service with thatching safety. Our advice proved invaluable, and a video was produced with our suggestions and distributed nationally as a training tool. Mike was also interviewed on Jeremy Vine's chat show on BBC Radio 2 for advice on thatching safety and chimney fires.
Our quality work has been featured in national papers such as the Property Journal, The Times, The Sunday Telegraph, The Sunday Express and The Daily Mail. We were also featured on Radio Solent on a number of occasions, and many pictures of our work in action were featured in the national WI calendar. Sam was also filmed for That's Solent News which was featured on BBC News in August 2016.
To become a master thatcher, you need to have great skills and practice in the craft. Once you demonstrate the highest level of craftsmanship in your work, the National Society of Master Thatchers will come to see you in action on several occasions to judge your work. The master thatcher accreditation must be renewed yearly, and therefore we need to maintain the same high standard of work at all times to stay associated with the association.
It is important that you ask for proof of accreditation of Master Thatcher level when looking for a Thatcher to take care of your home to ensure a high quality finish and workmanship on your property. Please view our gallery to see my membership card renewed year after year.
"The Mike Bartlett Assurance“ When carrying out any work a Master Thatcher is always on site this ensures that the quality of work is of the highest of standards, we also never use sub-contractors.