<P> Thatch is a versatile material when it comes to covering irregular roof structures . This fact lends itself to the use of second - hand, recycled and natural materials that are not only more sustainable, but need not fit exact standard dimensions to perform well . </P> <P> Thatched houses are harder to insure because of the perceived fire risk, and because thatching is labor - intensive, it is much more expensive to thatch a roof than to cover it with slate or tiles . Birds can damage a roof while they are foraging for grubs, and rodents are attracted by residual grain in straw . </P> <P> Thatch has fallen out of favor in much of the industrialized world not because of fire, but because thatching has become very expensive and alternative' hard' materials are cheaper--but this situation is slowly changing . There are about 60,000 thatched roofs in the UK, of which 50 - 80 suffer a serious fire each year, most of these being completely destroyed . The cost to the Fire Brigade is £ 1.3 m per annum . Many more thatched roofs are being built every year . </P> <P> New thatched roofs were forbidden in London in 1212 following a major fire, and existing roofs had to have their surfaces plastered to reduce the risk of fire . The modern Globe Theatre is one of the few thatched buildings in London (others can be found in the suburb of Kingsbury), but the Globe's modern, water reed thatch is purely for decorative purpose and actually lies over a fully waterproofed roof built with modern materials . The Globe Theatre, opened in 1997, was modelled on the Rose, which was destroyed by a fire on a dry June night in 1613 when a burning wad of cloth ejected from a special effects cannon during a performance set light to the surface of the thatch . The original Rose Theatre was actually thatched with cereal straw, a sample of which was recovered by Museum of London archaeologists during the excavation of the site in the 1980s . </P>

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