Brick end-of-terrace gable beside a limestone house, slate roofs

Roofers in Bibury

Stone slate repairs, lead and chimney work, and careful re-roofing in Bibury and Arlington, where the roofs in the Coln valley are part of what makes the village look the way it does.

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Bibury's stone slate roofs along the Coln

Cotswold stone slate roofs on old cottages — Cotswold stone slate

Cotswold District Council's conservation area statement says the original Cotswold stone slate roofing largely survives in Bibury's conservation area, with few buildings carrying any replacement material. That is unusual, and it means a roof here is more than a covering: it is a record of how the village was built. The stone is oolitic limestone, split and graded so that big slates run along the eaves and small ones finish below the ridge. Each stone is pegged in oak to a batten and left to hang. The weight is considerable, so the roof structure beneath is built to carry it, and any repair has to respect that. A leak in Bibury typically traces back to one of three things: a slipped stone, a rotted peg or a failed valley. Each has a repair that leaves the rest of the slope undisturbed, and that is the repair we look for first.

A swept valley between two stone slate slopes — Swept valleys and upturned ridges

The statement notes that many houses in Bibury keep swept valleys and upturned ridge tiles. A swept valley is formed with specially cut slates that curve round the junction of two roof planes, so water flows off without a lead gutter showing. It looks soft and natural, and it is skilled work to repair: the slates have to be cut to the same sweep, and the wrong replacement leaves a visible scar. Upturned ridge tiles are the finishing detail along the top, and they need good fixing to stay put. Because both are original features rather than add-ons, our approach is to keep them wherever they can be kept, and to rebuild them in kind where they cannot. We photograph the detail before anything is lifted.

Stone cottages beside a river valley — Cottages, mills and outbuildings

Bibury and Arlington sit in the valley of the River Coln, whose water powered early corn mills, and Arlington became the larger settlement as the woollen industry grew along the river. That working past left cottages, mill buildings and outbuildings in a tight valley setting, with Bibury Court, built in 1633 for Sir Thomas Sackville, nearby. The local stone is creamy yellow from the quarry and weathers to a mid grey, and brick is used very little in the village apart from the odd chimney. Chimneys still matter on these roofs, because a stack that rises through a slope or stands on the ridge has flashings that take weather from more than one direction. Outbuildings and lean-tos are worth including in any survey, as they are often the first to let water in.

From Swindon up to the Coln

Distance: 22 road miles north of central Swindon
Council: Cotswold District Council
Conservation area: Bibury, first designated 17 November 1971, boundary altered 1990 and 1998
Council: Cotswold District Council
Landscape: Cotswolds National Landscape

Bibury roof questions

Can a Bibury swept valley be mended instead of replaced?

Usually. Specially cut slates can be rebuilt to the same curve, using the original stones where they are sound. Replacing one with a plain lead gutter changes the look and the way water runs, so we keep the original form.

Does Bibury have an Article 4 direction on roofs?

One direction applies to part of the village, on a named list of properties. For those, changes of roofing material on the front slope need permission. Ask Cotswold District Council about your address.

How long can a stone slate roof in Bibury last?

A district council guide dating from 2000 says regular care lets a Cotswold roof last a century without difficulty. Take that as traditional experience, not a promise.

How are Bibury's stone slate roofs repaired?

Reclaimed Cotswold stone slates sorted by length beside a limestone wall

Roofers on a slate roof along a limestone village street

The short answer

By refixing and renewing what holds the stones, not by stripping sound covering. Slipped slates are rehung, rotted pegs and battens are replaced, and any slate that must be replaced is matched to the original by stone type, size and weathering. Reclaimed stone is used only where it comes from the same building or group.

A Cotswold stone slate roof can outlive several generations of owners, but the pegs, battens and lead that serve it do not last as long as the stone. Most repairs concern those parts, not the stones themselves.

What does rehanging a slipped Bibury slate involve?

When a stone slips, it is usually because the peg has rotted or the hole has worn. The slate is lifted, a new oak peg is fitted, and it is hung back in its course. If a run of battens has softened, that stretch is stripped, the battens are renewed, and the same slates go back. Where one has broken, a replacement of the same stone type, size and weathering is cut or sourced to fit.

Where should replacement stone slate come from?

The district council's technical guidance, quoting English Heritage policy, prefers new stone slates to salvaged ones, and confines any reclaimed stone to the building or group it was taken from. It also warns against swapping sandstone for limestone, and against sawn stone. We work to that approach and tell you where each replacement stone has been sourced.

How much does a Bibury stone roof weigh?

Stone is a heavy covering, around 1000 kg per 10 square metres on the council's figure, so the frame carries a great deal. Before one is re-laid the carpentry underneath needs inspecting, since decades of damp can soften wall plates and rafter feet where nobody can see.

Our Cotswold stone roofing page sets out the full method, and it is where we suggest you start before asking for a survey.

Upkeep pays. The same guide adds that scraping the stone yearly might double the roof's life, so a regular inspection is better value than waiting for the next leak.

Why do Bibury's swept valleys need special handling?

The answer

Because they are cut stone, not lead, and the curve is the whole point of them. The council's guidance describes specially cut slates forming a gentle curve at the valley, and calls lead or mitred alternatives cheaper to build but less satisfactory in appearance. We rebuild a failed valley in the same way.

Where two roof planes meet, water from both has to be carried down safely. The traditional Cotswold solution is the swept valley, in which the roof tilts and curves round the junction using slates cut to the sweep. There is no visible gutter, and the join looks like one continuous surface.

What makes a swept valley leak?

Swept valleys fail where the bottom courses have slipped, where moss has packed the junction and diverted water sideways, or where a past repair introduced the wrong slate. The signs are a damp patch on a ceiling below the valley line, or algae streaking down the wall beneath it.

How is a failed swept valley rebuilt?

The Cotswold guidance names the components, with terms such as bottomers, lie-byes and side skews, and says close-mitred and open lead valleys are cheaper to build but do not look as satisfactory as the traditional form and are best avoided. We take that seriously on a village where the valleys are part of the appearance. The failed section is recorded, stripped and rebuilt, usually with the same slates once sorted and cleaned, plus new stone cut to the same sweep where required.

On a listed building, changing the valley detail may need consent, so we settle the detail with you, and take it to the council where required. For a listed roof the council expects the natural materials to stay.

It is a repair that rewards patience. Rushing it, or filling the gap with a quick lead patch, is how a valley becomes a repeat problem. We plan the stone, the timber and the lead together so the junction is watertight and looks as it did.

Our view

Rebuild a swept valley in cut stone; a lead patch hides the problem and spoils the village's roofline.

What controls apply to roofs in Bibury conservation area?

Long flat roof on a 1960s brick building being re-covered

Rolled lead roof covering over a bay above white windows

The short answer

Bibury Conservation Area was first designated on 17 November 1971, and over 90 buildings in it are listed. An Article 4(2) direction covers part of the area, applying to a defined set of properties. Cotswold District Council is the authority, so ask it about your address before planning any change.

The council's conservation area statement records first designation on 17 November 1971, with boundary changes in 1990 and 1998, and says there are over 90 listed buildings inside. Arlington Row is listed, and Bibury Court, built in 1633 as a country house for Sir Thomas Sackville, stands in the same valley. Between them they show the weight of protection on this village and the care its roofs are owed.

What does Bibury's Article 4(2) direction cover?

An Article 4(2) direction covers part of the conservation area. The council's statement summarises its effect on the listed set of properties: planning permission is needed for changes of roofing material on the front slope and for rooflights on the front slope, along with window and door changes, render and cladding, and several other items. Ask the council to confirm the exact list for your property before you plan any roofing change on a front slope.

Do everyday stone repairs in Bibury need permission?

Repairing a roof in matching materials is maintenance, and it does not alter the look of the house. That is the normal case. A change of covering is the thing to avoid on those properties, and the direction exists to catch it. Not sure your house is among them? The council can tell you, and any front-slope work is priced only after that reply arrives.

When does a Bibury re-roof reach Building Regulations?

Cotswold District Council runs its own building control service. A larger re-roof can bring Building Regulations into play when more than the Planning Portal's limits of 25 per cent of the building envelope and 50 per cent of the roof are affected. You are told which route suits the job, and we file the notification ourselves whenever work is notifiable.

Who decides roof questions in the Cotswolds National Landscape?

Bibury is in the Cotswolds National Landscape, which has an advisory role. Decisions stay with the council.

Our roof repairs page shows how we scale a job to the fault, which suits a village where the smallest sound repair is almost always the right one.

MythThe whole of Bibury is under the same extra planning controls.

FactThe Article 4(2) direction applies to a listed set of properties, so confirm your own address with the council.

Roofing services in Bibury

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Questions from the Coln valley

Do the upturned ridge tiles on Bibury houses need special fixing?

They need mechanical fixing as well as bedding, because BS 5534, revised in 2014, no longer relies on mortar alone for ridge tiles. On a stone roof the ridge is often a dressed stone section, so the fixing method is chosen to suit the stone and the building.

Can a roof beside Arlington Row be repaired in stone?

Yes, on a matching basis. Listed status means anything altering the building's character needs consent, so we settle the plan with you and suggest a word with Cotswold District Council before anything changes. Repairs in the same stone are where we begin.

What causes stained ceilings under Bibury stone roofs?

Most often a slipped slate, a rotted peg or a failed valley or flashing. Water can run along a rafter before dripping, so the stain is not always below the fault. Our survey follows the water back with photographs, then the written quote deals with the cause rather than the stain.

What comes with the work on a Bibury roof?

You get a 10-year workmanship guarantee in writing, survey photographs of your roof, plus a written quote giving a single total price. After the work we sweep the site and carry the rubbish away.

Ask us about your roof

Tell us what’s happening and we’ll call you back.

Photos of what we find
A written quote
10-year workmanship guarantee

Or call 01793 626096