People think this bus stop’s new thatched roof is amazing
Written and published in 2019:
Please click on the image below to hear an item from Radio Suffolk about our bus shelter
The bus stop in Bramfield, near Halesworth, with its new thatched roof. Picture: NICOLA CLARKE
Bus stops are not often known for being works of art - but this striking roof on one village’s historic shelter is certainly turning heads. Whereas most passengers waiting for a bus are forced to huddle under a cold plastic shelter, Bramfield near Halesworth has for many years had the distinction of being one of the few with a traditional thatched roof.
The structure was in need of a spruce up in recent years, with parish councillors agreeing to commission a thatcher to replace the roof once it had been given a good clean inside by volunteers and a lick of paint on the outside by those working on a community payback scheme.
Thanks to a generous donation from district councillor Michael Gower’s locality budget - where he is given public funds to put towards community projects - Thatchers Dominic Meek, Christopher Hepworth and Luke Green agreed to complete the work between other, larger jobs.
The result is a stunning, traditional-looking roof which has won universal praise from across the village and beyond, with dozens taking to the Halesworth Community Voice Facebook page to praise those behind the work
Nicola Clarke, who posted an image on the page, said: “I think it’s great they are getting recognised for it. It looks amazing. A lot of talent in doing that.”
Anne Thomas, Chairman of Bramfield and Thorington Parish Council, said: “The bus shelter is owned by the Bramfield and Thorington Parish Council and has been in the village centre for a long time. It has always had a thatched roof and is still used - Bramfield has a reasonable bus service.
“The bus shelter had been in need of a makeover for some time. Last autumn two of us gave it a good clean inside - swifts nest in there during the spring, so it gets very messy - and community payback came to give it a scrub outside and a full repaint.
“Later in the year we agreed to commission a local thatcher to replace the roof. The Parish Council also discussed the matter of cost with our district councillor, Michael Gower of Suffolk Coastal District Council, who agreed to make a very generous donation towards the cost from his locality budget, with the parish council contributing the remainder.
“The work has been completed now and we are very pleased with it. The decorative work is delightful and we’ve had a big number of ‘likes’ on Facebook as well as many positive comments from parishioners.”
Ms Thomas added that swift nesting boxes will be bought and installed soon, while a plaque with the date of the rethatching and the Thatchers’ names will also be put up in the bus shelter during a small ceremony later this year.
PUBLISHED: 11:11 28 January 2019 | UPDATED: 11:49 28 January 2019
