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

Roofers in Erlestoke

Roof repairs, re-tiling, lead and chimney work for Erlestoke, the estate village at the foot of Salisbury Plain, where the houses sit tight against the trees and shade of Erlestoke Park.

Get a quote Call 01793 626096

Erlestoke's roofs, from the park wall to the plain

Village cottage roofs shaded by mature trees — Cottages under the park trees

The village centre is wrapped on three sides by Erlestoke Park, which was laid out in the 1780s with woodland, a lake and cascades. For roofs, that means shade and leaf fall. A slope that rarely sees the sun stays damp, so moss and algae take hold on tiles and in the valleys, gutters fill with leaves and needles, and branches brush the covering in a gale. None of that is a defect in the roof itself, but it shortens its life if nobody clears it. On cottages here the first job is usually to clean out the drainage, then look at what the damp has done to the battens and the edges.

Older tiled cottage roofs with brick chimneys — Houses rebuilt after the 1865 fire

A fire in 1865 destroyed thirteen houses in Erlestoke, and any houses put up in their place went up at much the same moment. Roofs from that rebuilding have been up for a hundred and sixty years or so, and they tend to show it all at once: nails corroded in the battens, softened rafter ends at the eaves, lead gone brittle around chimneys, and ridges whose old bedding has cracked. A fire of that scale is also a reminder that roof timbers matter. Whenever we open up a roof of this era we look at the state of the timber and the chimney stack alongside the covering, since the state of those timbers determines how long any repair lasts.

A red-tiled church roof beside parkland — St Saviour, the mansion and the farm buildings

The parish church was designed by G. E. Street and built in 1880, in ashlar, with a roof of red tiles. Erlestoke Park's mansion dates from about 1786 to 1791, and its roofs and centre block were burnt out in June 1950, a hard lesson in how a roof fire spreads through old timber. Around those landmarks sit farm buildings, outbuildings and modern homes where the ground meets the plain, with clay tile, slate, profile sheeting and flat roofs all in the mix. Larger roofs and barns bring their own questions about access, scaffolding and weight, and we plan them with that in mind before pricing.

From Swindon to the spring-line

Distance: 27 road miles south-south-west of central Swindon
Council: Wiltshire Council
Council: Wiltshire Council
Conservation area: Erlestoke, with listed buildings recorded at Grade II
Setting: An estate village on the north-western edge of Salisbury Plain

Short answers for Erlestoke's park-side roofs

Why does moss return so fast on roofs beside Erlestoke Park?

Shade and leaf litter keep slopes damp, and damp is what moss needs. Clearing it by hand and keeping gutters clear slows it, but trimming overhanging branches does more, with the right permission.

Can the red tiles on an Erlestoke roof be matched?

Usually, by size, profile and colour. Old clay tiles are often sorted and reused, with matching tiles mixed in, so a repair blends with the weathering around it.

Is a roof in the village's conservation area handled differently?

Plain repairs in matching materials seldom need an application. If the covering is to change, roof windows are planned, or the house is listed, Wiltshire Council should hear first.

What does Erlestoke Park's tree cover do to my roof?

Blocked gutter full of leaves overflowing down a brick wall

Lead-lined valley gutter between two slate roof slopes

The short answer

Trees make a roof work harder. Shade keeps tiles damp so moss and algae build up, leaves block gutters and valleys, and branches rub the covering in strong wind. None of this needs a new roof, but it does want regular clearing, plus a look at the battens, valleys and gutters underneath.

Erlestoke Park surrounds the village centre on three sides, laid out in the 1780s with woodland, a lake and cascades. Whoever owns a house within reach of those trees ends up with a different maintenance routine from someone on an open estate.

Why do the valleys and gutters fail first?

Anything that drops from a tree ends up in the lowest line of the roof, and that line is the valley. Leaves, seed cases and twigs pile up where two slopes meet, trap water, and keep the joint wet for months. The lead or tile beneath wears faster, and in heavy rain the water can overshoot the valley and run behind the eaves. Gutters do the same job lower down. If you can see plants growing in your gutters, the roof edge has been wet for a long time.

Is moss on the tiles actually harmful?

Light moss is cosmetic. A deep cushion of it, by contrast, keeps the tile soaked and can prise edges up when a hard frost arrives. Removing it gently by hand or with a soft brush is safe; blasting it with a pressure washer can strip the surface from old clay. MyBuilder's cleaning guide cautions that a pressure wash may harm delicate tiles.

What about branches over the roof?

Overhanging boughs scrape tiles and drop heavy debris. Tree work near a roof in a conservation area usually needs the council to be told first, so ask Wiltshire Council before anyone brings out a saw. We can then work on a clear roof, rather than around a hazard.

If drainage is the cause, fixing that first often saves a bigger job later. Our roof repairs page explains how we weigh a small fix against a larger one.

Is repairing an old Erlestoke clay tile roof sensible?

The answer

Frequently. The tiles can outlive the battens and nails that carry them, so a sound roof may only need refixing, a few new tiles and the ridge re-bedded. If the tiles are crumbling through, or the roof is sagging, a re-cover is the better choice, and the survey photographs will show which applies.

The church of St Saviour, with its red tile roof, shows how long clay can last when it is kept in order. A clay-tiled house nearby can do the same with regular care.

How long does clay tile last?

Estimates vary. Marley quotes a BRE-determined minimum of 60 years, MyBuilder says clay tiles need replacing after 40 to 60 years, and a 2008 article in the Building Conservation Directory notes that some peg-tiled roofs have lasted for centuries, so 60 years is no ceiling. Workmanship, exposure and upkeep decide where one roof falls.

When is a repair the wrong answer?

When the tiles themselves have given up. A tile that flakes, splits along its length or turns soft is finished, and patching around it only moves the leak. Also, if the battens are rotten across a whole slope, new tiles on old timber is false economy. Either way a re-cover gives better value, and the survey report spells that out.

Can I keep my old tiles?

Where they are sound, yes. We strip a slope, sort the good tiles, replace the battens and underlay, then re-lay with the reclaimed tiles mixed with matching new ones. The weathered colour that makes a roof look settled stays with the house. Where tile has to be bought in, we choose it for its fit with the old ones, not for its price.

The written quote that comes after the survey covers the work your roof needs, not a guess at it.

What it typically costs

Small leak repair£100 to £300
Larger repair£500 to £1,000
Ridge tiles bedded afresh or renewed£300 to £600
Storm-damage repairs£500 to £1,500

These are typical UK ranges for the job, not a price for your roof. How easy the roof is to reach, how big the affected area is and what we find up there all move the figure, and our written quote comes after the survey. MyBuilder, roof repair cost and slate roof cost guides, updated 21 August 2026.

Does Erlestoke's conservation area decide how I re-roof?

Rolled lead roof covering over a bay above white windows

Roofers on a slate roof along a limestone village street

The short answer

It can shape the choice. A repair in kind rarely needs an application, whereas a new covering, roof windows or alterations to a listed building call for a word with Wiltshire Council first. Big re-roofs also fall under Building Regulations, as your building control body or the council can confirm.

Erlestoke is a conservation area, and a heritage-records count puts 25 listed buildings in it, every one at Grade II. The church of the Holy Saviour, the late-eighteenth-century gate piers that once marked the park entrance and a run of estate cottages on the High Street are among them.

What does that mean for a simple repair?

If you are replacing tiles with the same tiles, or refixing and re-bedding like with like, the work is maintenance. The conservation area matters when the roof's appearance shifts: a different tile colour, a switch from clay to concrete, or roof windows added to the lane side. Our pitched roofing page covers coverings in more detail, and our skylights hub deals with roof window planning.

What if your Erlestoke house is listed?

Then alterations that touch its character call for listed building consent, and the covering forms part of what makes the house special. We keep to the material that is there, and tell you before anything departs from it. The village church follows another route: the Church of England handles its own listed churches in use through the faculty system.

When do Building Regulations come in?

On the Planning Portal's figures, work touching under 25 per cent of the total building envelope and under 50 per cent of the roof usually needs no building control application. Over either figure, or with a covering that adds 15 per cent or more in weight, approval is needed. We talk you through it and submit the notification where one is due, to Wiltshire Council's building control team or a registered building control approver.

MythA conservation area means every new tile needs permission.

FactSwapping in matching tiles is usually maintenance; permission only comes into question when the roof's appearance changes.

Roofing services in Erlestoke

Nearby towns we cover

Questions from the lanes around Erlestoke Park

Can you match the red tiles on a roof close to St Saviour?

In most cases, yes. We compare the tile's size, profile and colour on site, then source clay tiles that sit comfortably beside the weathered ones. Sound old tiles are graded and reused, with the new ones scattered through the slope rather than grouped in one obvious patch, which also helps new and old weather together.

What did the 1865 fire change for roofs in the village?

Thirteen houses were destroyed, and any built in their place date from the years that followed. Those roofs are now around a century and a half old, which is the age when nails, battens and flashings tend to need attention together. So a survey in the village looks at the whole roof and the stack, not simply the stain on the ceiling.

Do you cover the whole of Erlestoke parish?

Yes. The parish is long and narrow, running from the edge of the plain down to lower ground, and every part of it lies within our area. Anything leaking is made safe first; the repair that lasts is planned after we have traced where the water comes in.

How do you reach a roof sitting beneath parkland trees?

Scaffolding or a tower is set up on the clearest side, branches are left alone unless the owner and council agree, and gutters are cleared as we go. Our work carries a written 10-year workmanship guarantee, and we take away our waste and leave the site clear.

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