Finally decided to tackle a thatched building. This is a particle system, specifically hair. I found a couple of useful settings for thatch, and doubled it up anyway for extra thickness. There’s no thatch on the back so I guess I could afford twice as much on the front.

I sculpted the walls a bit. Saw a video on recreating a thatched hut similar to this near Stonehenge. Walls were wattle and daub (crushed chalk plus hay + water). This hasn’t turned out too badly, given that it’s just a rough ‘sketch’. Have strewn a few plants around for extra realism.