The building
This Grade II listed house in Sible Hedingham has cream render, a steep clay-tiled roof and a tall red brick chimney. After many years the old handmade tiles were weathered and heavily covered in moss, and the owners wanted to replace them. On a listed building, even a like-for-like re-roof needs listed building consent, so the council has to be satisfied that the building's character will be kept.
Our heritage approach
The roof is a big part of what makes this house special, so our aim was a new roof that looks as though it belongs. We prepared the drawings for the application: every elevation and the roof plan, showing the building as existing and as proposed. They make clear that the roof's shape, pitch, eaves, ridge and chimney all stay exactly as they are. The only change is the covering.
For the new tiles we specified a handmade clay plain tile in a blended mix of browns and darker tones. Each tile is slightly irregular in shape, so the finished roof has the gentle, varied texture of an old roof rather than the flat, uniform look of machine-made tiles.
The outcome
Braintree District Council granted listed building consent. The owners can now re-roof the house with tiles that suit its age and character, so the roof stays weathertight for many years to come.
