A Devizes couple may be forced to sell their dream cottage at a loss if they have to replace the thatch.

Mark and Rob Castle-Woodhams, who have lived at East Lodge, Old Park, Devizes, for the last 18 months, are appealing against an enforcement notice from Kennet District Council, which is insisting they strip off the combed wheat thatch installed last January and replace it with the more traditional long straw.

But they say that, if the enforcement notice is upheld, they will have to sell the property.

Mark Castle-Woodhams, who works for the NHS, said: “We have a high mortgage and we don’t have the money to spend on rethatching. It would cost us up to £20,000 to do the work, not counting the cost of scaffolding.

“We accept that we did not keep Kennet informed, but the situation was urgent.

“When we bought the property it needed a lot doing to it and especially the thatch.

“Because we had such a bad summer this year there was a shortage of long straw.

“We were keen to make the place as weatherproof as possible as soon as we could.

“Our thatchers said they could do it in combed wheat straight away, so we told them to get on with it.”

Rob Castle-Woodhams, a police officer, said: “We wrote to all our neighbours, a total of 26 letters, and had 22 replies, all positive about the work we were doing and having no problem at all about the thatching.”

The two men bought East Lodge for £300,000 in April 2007 and have spent £80,000 doing it up. The tiny house has just two bedrooms.

A report by Kennet’s conservation officer Helen Garside said that, although there has been a shortage of long straw this year, specialists have had their own guaranteed supply.

She said: “The need to buy in straw is often a problem, and particularly so in a year where supplies of all straw were limited.

“However, we are aware that thatchers specialising in long straw were working elsewhere in the district throughout the year with appropriate materials and cetainly had no shortage in January.”

A statement from the National Society of Master Thatchers said: “We can in no way support the flouting of planning laws.

“However, changes in thatching technique and therefore style have always occurred as the craft of thatching has evolved.

“Thatched dwellings are a significant part of our built heritage.

“We owe it to owners and custodians of these dwellings to provide them with the best long-term strategy to secure and maintain their houses.

“It is for this reason that the society is prepared to assist the owners in formulating their appeal.”