MASTER thatchers Kit Davis, left, and Adrian Cox have been helping to return a Blewbury boundary wall to its former glory.

They have been painstakingly removing a 1950s sand and cement render on the wall – thought to date back to Anglo Saxon times – for the past week.

The wall is being treated with decomposed chalk and lime, Mr Davis said, and a new distinctive long straw finish.

Steventon-based Mr Davis said demand was still strong for the historic trade.

He said: “Everybody is suffering a little bit, as in every trade, but we are booked up to the middle of spring.

“It looks good and it offers very good insulation.”