Hole in roof felt under ridge tile.

[Dean boland]

Hi, I've recently moved into a house and have discovered this hole in the roof felt. My initial reaction was of course looks terrible and I need to patch right away. I've discovered that it is however right underneath the one vented ridge tile, so I'm wondering if at some point it was opened up on purpose to aid with ventilation. I believe there are vents in the soffits so you can feel a good through draft at times which will aid any condensation problems.
My question is should I patch it with the spare felt I have? I was going to cut a piece to slot into the gap , lap it over and staple to underside of the batten. To prevent any possible water issues but there arent any signs of previous damage to ceilings in that area and the roof seems sound. I also dont want to lower any venting capability of the roof system and create condensation problems. So I'm looking for advice on the situation if anyone has ever seen anything similar.
Many thanks
Dean

 

[oldbutnotdead]

The felt is only there as a backup for the roof covering so a hole isn't immediately cause for concern. You may be correct in your thought that it's been torn deliberately to improve the ventilation, I'd leave it be, maybe stick some polythene or a bucket below it, have a look at it next time it rains