Roofers in Hilmarton

Hilmarton's church of St Laurence, still in use as a Church of England parish church, was listed Grade I in 1960. It was first mentioned in 1291 and has a north arcade from the late 12th century. Hilmarton Manor, the village school from about 1860 and five almshouses of 1877 are Grade II. The village also has a conservation area designated by Wiltshire Council.

Q1.1What needs listed building consent?

Listed building consent applies to works that would affect a building's character as a building of special interest. A new covering, a different ridge detail or a change to chimneys can all count. Putting back what was there, with the same materials and the same method, normally does not alter the character, though the council has the last word and it is sensible to ask.

Q1.2What counts as like for like?

Same material means the same type, size and colour, not merely the same family. Welsh slate is replaced with Welsh slate of matching size, and clay tile with clay tile of a similar tone. Lead stays lead, and old nails and clips are renewed behind it. Our slate roofing page sets out how slates are matched and re-laid.

Q1.3Does the church follow the same rules as its neighbours?

For St Laurence, changes follow the diocese's faculty system while the church is in use, and the parish's architect guides that process. The same does not apply to the school, almshouses or manor, which go through the council in the usual way. Where a building has been converted to a house, the council's rules apply to the house.

Whichever route applies, the written quote describes the work and comes with photographs of the existing roof. That gives the council, or your architect, something concrete to consider before anything is decided, and it avoids a misunderstanding about what is being changed.

When you contact us, say if the building is listed. It changes how we plan the work, what we photograph and which questions go to the council first.

The Well House, dated to about 1900, has a stone-slate roof carried on timber posts. It is a good reminder of how a small roof can carry great character, and why the right repair for it differs from the right repair for a tile roof a few doors along.

Q3.1Why are the courses laid in diminishing sizes?

Stone slate goes on in courses that shrink as they climb, the heaviest stones at the bottom edge and the smallest beneath the ridge. Because the stone splits naturally into far more small pieces than big ones, the pattern is partly dictated by the material. A roofer replacing a few slates needs to keep that pattern, or the repair will show from the road.

Q3.2What holds the stones, and how heavy are they?

Stone slates were traditionally slung over a batten by a wooden peg, usually oak, driven through a hole in the slate's upper end. Pegs and battens fail before the stone does, so a leaking stone roof often needs refixing, not new stone. The covering is also heavy, so any change of material needs the rafters checked. The Planning Portal says a covering 15 per cent or more heavier than what it replaces needs Building Regulations approval. Our Cotswold stone roofing page explains these methods in detail.

Q3.3Do small structures need the same care?

Garden buildings, porches and well covers tend to be roofed in the same material as the main house, and they are often the first part to be neglected. Timber posts rot at their feet, and a roof that drops by a few millimetres loosens every slate. Check posts and plates as well as the covering, because a sound roof on a failing frame is a short-lived repair, and a short look from underneath tells you which you have.

If you have a stone-slate roof of your own, send us a photograph. We can tell you quickly whether it needs refixing, partial replacement or a full strip and re-lay.