The whitewashed mud walls of Dan Winter’s Cottage in Loughgall have stood resplendent since the early 1700s however it’s thatched roof is getting a new makeover.

Standing for centuries in the Grange area of Co Armagh, Dan Winter’s Cottage, the birthplace of the Orange Order, has become a huge tourist attraction.

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Geoffrey Winter, keeper of Dan Winter's Cottage in Loughgall, Co Armagh, outside his ancestral home which was the birthplace of the Orange Order. The building is receiving a new thatched roof.

placeholder image — Geoffrey Winter, keeper of Dan Winter's Cottage in Loughgall, Co Armagh, outside his ancestral home which was the birthplace of the Orange Order. The building is receiving a new thatched roof.

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Crammed with ancient artefacts dating back centuries and commemorating many facets of the Orange Order, it is also renowned for its beautiful thatched roof which, sadly, needs a fresh makeover every 10-15 years.

Carrying out the work on this 18th century listed farmhouse is Peter from Poland, who works for Countrywide Thatch, one of the few NI firms which specialise in this niche market.

Peter first started thatching in England more than 20 years ago and is one of the few specialists in this craft working in the UK and Ireland. Both Peter and his workmate have been beavering away for weeks on the magnificent thatch (apart from a short break during Storm Darragh).

Geoffrey Winter, keeper of Dan Winter's Cottage at Loughgall, Co Armagh, with two of the thatchers who are restoring the roof of this historic building which is the birthplace of the Orange Order.

The farmhouse was completely rethatched in 2000 with another make over in 2014. Geoffrey Winter, a descendant of the original owner, Dan Winter, hopes that this year’s thatch will last for at least another 12 to 14 years.

The cottage has been maintained by the Winter family for generations and Geoffrey says the thatch is a focal draw for many of the tourists and visitors who come to peruse the cottage and its artefacts including relics from the Battle of the Diamond plus old farming and dairy artefacts. Under the thatch in the old cottage is the original timber, much of it Irish Oak and in almost perfect condition.

Peter reveals that the thatch is a great roofing material as it helps keep the house warm in winter and cool in summer plus it is made of totally sustainable materials.

It’s a typical old farmhouse from that era but it is packed with history including the old family chair which was said to have been used at the first meeting following the Diamond battle.

With only 180 thatched buildings in Northern Ireland, and only 74 of them homes, Dan Winter’s Cottage is definitely unique.