Roofers on a buff brick estate house with grey tile roofs

Roofers in West Lavington

Slipped tiles, worn ridges, leaking chimneys and overflowing gutters, sorted out across West Lavington, from the brick and stone houses by Bulkington Brook to the newer homes along the A360.

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West Lavington's roofs, from brook to Plain

Brick and stone houses with tall chimney stacks — Brick, stone and the older houses by the church

West Lavington sits on a strip of Gault and Greensand at the foot of Salisbury Plain, with chalk uplands rising to the south, and its older buildings show the local mix. Dial House, from the early eighteenth century, is built in red brick trimmed with stone, a pairing that sets the tone for the older streets. The seventeenth-century side of West Lavington Manor is rubble with mullioned windows, and the vicarage was built of stone with a brick front. All Saints church was begun in the later twelfth century and carries a battlemented tower. Houses of this standing have deep roof timbers, tall stacks and lead at every junction, and those junctions are where repairs begin. A fire in 1689 destroyed 226 bays of building in the village, a reminder of why chimneys and roof timbers repay careful attention.

Village cottages with clay tile roofs — Cottages and village houses along the brook

Bulkington Brook rises from a spring near the middle of the parish and runs through the village, and the cottages and houses near it have always lived with water. Damp walls, soaked ground and blocked drains can all look like roof problems, so we trace water from the gutter and downpipe back to the roof before suggesting a repair. The age of these houses varies, and so does the covering, which is why the survey photographs matter: taken from the ridge and the eaves, they show whether a roof has its original covering, a later replacement or a patchwork of both. Valley gutters, rear lean-tos and porch roofs are the places where trouble starts, and small repairs there save larger ones later.

Interlocking tile roofs on later homes — Newer homes along the A360 and the village edges

Away from the old centre, the village has houses and bungalows from the twentieth century and later, strung along the Devizes to Salisbury road and its side streets. Their roofs are a different proposition again: concrete interlocking tiles, shallow pitches, dry-fix verges on newer builds and flat-roofed garages and extensions. Typical faults include crumbled bedding under ridge and hip tiles, tiles cracked by foot traffic or old aerial fittings, and worn felt or single-ply sheets on flat sections that have run their course. With the open Plain at their backs, these roofs are exposed to wind, so fixings matter more than finish, and the ridge and verge details repay a close look. Bungalows with long, low slopes are worth checking after every winter.

From Swindon to the spring line

Distance: 25 road miles south-south-west of central Swindon
Council: Wiltshire Council
Conservation area: West Lavington, designated in 1975 with Littleton Panell
Setting: Spring-line village on the northern slopes of Salisbury Plain, on the A360 south of Devizes
Council: Wiltshire Council

Answers for West Lavington roof owners

Does West Lavington have a conservation area?

Yes. A conservation area was designated here in 1975. Repairs that match the old work seldom need an application. Before changing the covering, a chimney or the roof windows, put the question to Wiltshire Council.

Why do roofs near Bulkington Brook show damp so often?

Ground beside a brook stays wet, and gutters and drains overflow in heavy rain. The resulting damp can pass for a roof leak, so the true source is traced before anything is repaired.

Do roofs at the foot of Salisbury Plain take more wind?

They can. Open ground behind the village lets the wind rake along ridges, verges and gable ends, so each fixing is the first thing we examine.

What goes wrong first on West Lavington roofs?

Weathered brick chimney stack with eroded joints and cracked pot

Roofer repointing a stone chimney stack above lead flashing

The short answer

On most older roofs it is the details, not the main covering: lead at chimneys, cracked ridge bedding, tired valley gutters and failing joins at lean-tos. Newer roofs give way along the ridge line, the gable edges and any flat sections, particularly in the wind that comes off the Plain.

People expect the roof to fail in the middle of a slope. In practice the trouble nearly always starts at an edge, a junction or a penetration, where the covering meets something else. That is true of the red-brick houses by the church and the bungalows on the village edge alike.

Why do chimneys cause so many leaks?

A stack passes through the roof and stands in the weather, so it has flaunching on top, pointing down the sides and flashings at the base. Each of those fails slowly. The fire of 1689 that destroyed 226 bays of building here is a long-ago reminder that chimneys and roof timbers share a history. Our chimney repairs page explains how the parts are checked in order.

Do tiles blow off in the wind from the Plain?

Single tiles can lift and slip where clips or nails have worked loose, particularly along the edges. A ridge held by mortar alone is among the first things a gale shifts. The 2014 edition of BS 5534 changed the approach, and these tiles now need mechanical fixings on top of any bedding. Our page on tiles lifting in wind sets out the usual causes.

When is a repair really a replacement?

When the battens are soft, the underlay has failed across the slope, or the tiles are crumbling in many places, patches only delay the job and cost more in the end. The survey photographs show which case you are in, and our recommendation is whichever is the lightest job that properly cures the fault.

Gutters should be seen to at the same visit, since a blocked outlet sends water straight onto the wall head. A short length of cracked pipe at a hopper or joint is enough to soak the brickwork beneath for years.

Can gutters near the brook really cause roof damp?

The answer

Yes. A blocked or leaking gutter drops water onto the wall and eaves, where it soaks into masonry and timber and shows up inside as damp patches that look like a roof leak. Clearing the gutter and re-hanging it level can be all that is needed.

In a village where a brook runs through the middle, water has plenty of ways into a building. Rain comes from above, the ground stays wet below, and a gutter that is not doing its job adds a third route at the eaves.

How do I tell a gutter fault from a roof fault?

Start with when the stain appears. A roof leak tends to show soon after rain starts, usually below a particular spot on the slope. A gutter fault shows after heavy or prolonged rain, on the wall just below the eaves, with green or dark staining on the face of the brickwork or stone. We check the roof, the gutter and the downpipe in one visit so the cause is clear.

What should a gutter fall be?

Manufacturers typically recommend a gentle fall to the outlet, roughly 1:600 to 1:350 depending on the system, with brackets spaced evenly along the run. Sagging runs hold water, and a pool of water in a gutter freezes and cracks joints. Our gutters, soffits and fascias page describes the options.

Is it worth replacing fascia timber at the same time?

Where the board behind the gutter has rotted, new brackets will not hold, so the timber is renewed first. MyBuilder's guide, updated on 21 August 2026, suggests fascia and soffit are typically replaced every 10 to 20 years, depending on material and weather.

Getting the gutters right protects the masonry as well as the roof, which on older brick and stone houses is the larger concern. Sound rainwater goods cost far less than repairing a saturated wall head or a rotted wall plate.

MythA damp patch under the eaves always means the roof is leaking.

FactOverflowing or cracked gutters wet the wall head and eaves, and the stain on the ceiling may be indistinguishable from a roof leak.

What does Wiltshire Council need to know about my roof work?

Rolled lead roof covering over a bay above white windows

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

The short answer

Wiltshire Council is the planning authority, and notifiable work goes to its building control team or a registered building control approver. Straight repairs in matching material rarely need an application, though the village conservation area and any listed building call for a check before the work is priced.

Most roof work here needs no application. The cases that do are fewer than people expect, and the council's planning team can settle them quickly.

Does West Lavington's conservation area matter?

The village was designated a conservation area in 1975, announced with Littleton Panell in a notice in the London Gazette dated 1 August of that year. Work in matching material leaves the village looking as it did and seldom needs an application. Take any proposed new covering, roof windows or reworked chimney to Wiltshire Council's planning team before anything is ordered. Our roof repairs page covers what a repair involves.

What about listed buildings such as the manor and the church?

Where an alteration would touch a listed building's character, consent is required, and the roofing forms part of that character. All Saints is a parish church in Anglican hands, so its roof falls under the faculty system. For listed houses, our starting point is the original material, put back in the original manner.

At what point does a West Lavington re-roof need approval?

The Planning Portal sets out when approval comes into play. Under 25 per cent of the total building envelope and under 50 per cent of the roof, it is not normally needed. Over either limit, or with a covering 15 per cent or more heavier than before, it is. Wiltshire Council's building control team or a registered building control approver handles the application, and we deal with the notification where the work needs one.

If you are unsure where your house stands, ask early.

Our view

Ask Wiltshire Council about any change of material, and let the written quote follow the survey.

Roofing services in West Lavington

Nearby towns we cover

Questions from the spring-line lanes

Why does the ridge on my West Lavington house keep loosening?

Ridges held by mortar alone suffer most in wind coming off open ground. The mortar cracks, the tiles shift, and rain gets under them. Re-bedding to the present standard adds clips or screws, or a tested dry-fix ridge system, and the loose sections are marked up in the survey photographs.

Can you tell whether damp near the brook is the roof or the ground?

Often yes, from a careful look at the gutters, the eaves, the stack and the wall base. Damp that tracks down from the roof line points one way, and damp rising from the base of the wall points another. We say what we find, even where the answer is that the roof is sound.

Can you work on the old brick-and-stone houses near All Saints?

We work on the tiled, slate and flat roofs, chimneys, lead and gutters of older brick and stone houses, and take care with historic fabric and listed buildings. West Lavington is well inside the area we cover, so a survey visit at the foot of the Plain is easy to book.

What happens if a wet roof has to be made safe quickly?

Leaks and storm damage come first on our list, and a leaking roof gets made safe ahead of any lasting repair being planned. Send a photograph by WhatsApp or ring 01793 626096, and you will hear what can be arranged. A written quote follows the survey.

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