Roofers on a slate roof along a limestone village street

Roofers in Milton Lilbourne

We repair and replace roofs in Milton Lilbourne, from the rubble-stone church and the early eighteenth-century Manor House to the cottages and later homes under the downs, and the quote is written once we have seen the roof for ourselves.

Get a quote Call 01793 626096

Milton Lilbourne's roofs, below the downs

Rubble stone church with a steep roof — St Peter's and the Manor House

The Church of St Peter is a grade II* listed parish church built of squared and coursed rubble with stone dressings, restored in 1859 and again in 1875, and the Manor House dates from about 1710 and is also grade II*. Buildings of this standing set the tone for the village. A house from the early eighteenth century typically has a steep pitch, a deep roof void and big chimney stacks, and its covering will have been renewed more than once by now. Work on a listed building is planned with the council beforehand, and the aim is always to keep original material where it is still sound.

Low cottages with tiled roofs and chimneys — Cottages and farm buildings in the Vale

Milton Lilbourne lies in the Vale of Pewsey between Pewsey and Burbage, and older cottages, barns and farm buildings sit along its lanes. Small old roofs have small old faults: tiles that have slipped, battens that have softened, flashings lifted at a chimney, and gutters packed with leaves from the trees alongside. Many have been patched with whatever came to hand, so a survey often turns up mismatched tiles and old repairs worth redoing. Where the roof is low, a rear lean-to or porch frequently hides the most worn corner and gets overlooked until a ceiling stains.

Concrete tile roofs on newer village houses — Later houses and extensions

Beyond the historic core are homes from the twentieth century onwards, along with garages and extensions, usually roofed in concrete tiles or similar modern coverings. Their problems are the familiar ones. The mortar under the ridge crumbles, verges crack where the cement has dried out, the underlay tears behind the battens, and flat roofs on kitchens or porches reach the point where patching no longer helps. These are well-defined jobs, and the difference between a repair that holds and one that returns lies in finding the true cause before choosing the fix. A quick look in the loft often tells us more than an hour on a ladder.

From Swindon down to the Vale

Distance: 21 road miles south of central Swindon
Council: Wiltshire Council
Council: Wiltshire Council
Conservation area: Milton Lilbourne has its own conservation area
Landscape: North Wessex Downs National Landscape (AONB)

Milton Lilbourne householders: what to check on the roof

Does Milton Lilbourne's conservation area cover my house?

The village has one, and Wiltshire Council's planning team can tell you whether your address falls inside the boundary.

Can a rubble-stone church roof be repaired without scaffolding?

Rarely. Steep roofs and tall walls call for safe access, and a scaffold also lets us inspect the stonework and gutters properly. It belongs in any quote involving height.

How do I spot a failing chimney flashing from the ground?

Look for staining on the chimney breast indoors, damp on the wall beneath, and gaps or lifted metal around the stack. Binoculars help, but only a close look from the roof gives the full answer, which is why the survey includes photographs of the stack from above.

What roofs go with St Peter's and the Manor House?

Roofer repointing a stone chimney stack above lead flashing

Brick chimney stack with new lead flashing on a clay tile roof

The short answer

Both are grade II*: the church of squared and coursed rubble with stone dressings, restored in 1859 and 1875, and the Manor House of about 1710. Buildings like these have steep roofs, heavy stacks and old timbers, so repairs are measured against what exists and kept in keeping with it.

St Peter's was restored in two phases: the chancel in 1859 by G.E. Street, and the nave, aisle and porch in 1875 by J.L. Pearson. The Manor House dates from about 1710, which puts it among the fine early eighteenth-century houses of the region. Between them they set the standard for the village's older buildings.

What is special about an early eighteenth-century roof?

A house of that period usually has a high, steep roof made from hand-cut timbers, a thick chimney stack at each end and a covering that has been renewed several times. The timbers carry the weight of the roof only because they have been left alone for generations. Cutting into them, or loading them with a heavier covering than they were built for, can cause lasting harm. If a new covering is heavier by 15 per cent or more, building control approval applies, so the structure is checked before anything is ordered.

Who approves repairs to the church roof?

St Peter's belongs to the Church of England, so its repair work is cleared through the diocesan faculty system rather than by the council, for as long as services continue. The diocesan advisers decide what is acceptable. We can price a repair, but permission to carry it out comes through the church, so the parish is the first call. Parish teams that plan ahead, with a recent inspection report in hand, tend to find the process smoother.

What do tall stacks do to a roof?

On a house like the Manor House, chimney repairs and lead flashing are usually the first things a survey flags, since tall stacks are exposed to every weather and every bit of movement in the building.

When any of these buildings needs work, we photograph the roof first, so that the old arrangement can be put back accurately. Photographs of the stone dressings, the gutters and the roof edges are worth having years later, when someone asks what the roof looked like before the work.

Two listed buildings in Milton Lilbourne

Building	Grade	Detail
Church of St Peter	II*	Squared and coursed rubble with stone dressings, restored 1859 and 1875
Manor House	II*	Dates from about 1710

How should a Vale of Pewsey cottage roof be maintained?

The answer

Walk round it with binoculars in spring and autumn, keep the gutters clear and have a roofer check the valleys, chimney flashing and ridge every few years. Small roofs deteriorate quietly, and early attention costs far less than a ceiling or a rafter that has been wet for months.

A cottage roof in the Vale does the same job as a manor roof, but it has far less margin. The roof void is small, the walls are often thin or soft, and a hidden leak can run into a wall plate before anyone sees a stain.

What can I check from the garden?

Stand back and look along the ridge for dips, along the eaves for slipped tiles, and at the chimney for staining or open joints. Check that gutters are clear and discharging into a downpipe, not over the wall. A pair of binoculars or the zoom on a phone helps, and sending us the photographs lets us give an early opinion before anyone climbs a ladder.

What should be left to a roofer?

Anything above first-floor height, or on a slope, is work for someone with the right access. Gutters and rooflines are covered by gutters, soffits and fascias, and a periodic check belongs with any inspection. Moss left on tiles holds water, and cleaning is best done gently, since pressure washing can strip the surface off old tiles and drive water behind them.

What does the loft tell me?

From inside the loft, look for daylight through the covering, dark tide marks on rafters, damp insulation and droppings that suggest wildlife. If you spot signs of bats or nesting birds in the loft, mention it when you call: both are protected, and work around them has to wait for advice.

Small, regular jobs keep an old cottage roof sound and put off a full re-roof for much longer than neglect would.

Who approves work in Milton Lilbourne's conservation area?

Roofer on a stone slate ridge beside a stone chimney

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

The short answer

Wiltshire Council decides planning matters here, including the conservation area and the listed buildings. Notifiable roof work also goes through building control. Like-for-like repairs seldom need permission, but changes to the look of a building, or work on a listed one, do.

Milton Lilbourne lies in Wiltshire, so planning and building control questions go to Wiltshire Council. The village is also within the North Wessex Downs National Landscape, which advises but does not decide.

Do everyday repairs need a form?

Replacing broken tiles, refixing a ridge and renewing flashings in matching materials is maintenance and needs no application. Work of that kind leaves the look of the village unchanged, which is why the council rarely objects to it. If you are still unsure, a call to the planning team costs nothing.

What about a bigger re-roof?

On the Planning Portal's test, the work needs no building control application provided it touches under 25 per cent of the total building envelope and under 50 per cent of the roof. Cross that line and approval applies, with an insulation upgrade possibly due on the roof as well. Wiltshire Council's building control team and registered building control approvers both take these applications, and the notification is something we handle whenever the job requires it.

Are St Peter's and the Manor House the only listed buildings?

They are the two best known, and both are grade II*. Listed building consent is the gate for anything that alters a listed building's special character, a different roof covering included, so a house near either deserves a quick check of its status. Swapping natural material for a modern substitute on a visible slope is a change worth a conversation with the council first.

Thinking of a roof window facing the lane? Our skylights page explains the planning side before you commit.

MythLiving in a National Landscape means roof work needs the landscape body's approval.

FactPlanning decisions rest with the council; the National Landscape body can only advise.

Roofing services in Milton Lilbourne

Nearby towns we cover

Roof queries from under the downs

Why do Milton Lilbourne chimney stacks leak at the base?

Water usually gets in where the stack meets the roof. Lead flashings crack or lift, the mortar around the stack erodes, and the back gutter behind it clogs with leaves. We check each of those and repair the cause instead of smearing sealant over the symptom. A cracked chimney pot or open joint high on the stack can send water down inside the flue, so we look there as well.

Can you repair a roof beside the Manor House without disturbing the listing?

A repair using like materials and traditional fixings does not usually disturb a listing. A change that alters the building's character does need listed building consent. We agree the tiles, the fixings and the method with you before ordering anything, and we suggest a word with Wiltshire Council whenever the proposal moves away from the existing covering. Photographs taken before the work start give everyone the same record to refer back to.

Do you cover farms and barns between Pewsey and Burbage?

Yes. They sit well inside the 30 road miles we cover from Swindon. Barn and farm roofs need careful survey because of their size and age, and the written quote follows photographs of the roof itself. Big spans, old purlins and long runs of corrugated or tiled covering each bring their own questions, so we start with what the timbers can carry.

Why does a flat porch roof in Milton Lilbourne keep ponding?

Ponding generally points to a fall that is too gentle, or to a deck that has dipped beneath the covering. A membrane sitting in a permanent pool ages quickly, so patching the surface only delays things. We look at the deck, the edges and the outlet together and say whether re-covering the existing deck will do or whether the timber beneath needs replacing first.

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