Roofs and Tile Hanging

The diversity, richness and warmth of clay tiles helps give many Wealden buildings their special architectural character. Its abundant use as a roofing and cladding material is a reflection of the underlying geology of the area, which in turn is responsible for the numerous local variations in colour and texture of clays.

While you will not require Listed Building Consent to repair or replace small areas of damaged or slipped tiles, you will require Listed Building Consent to strip and re-tile either a roof, one slope of a roof, or an elevation of tile-hanging or mathematical tiling.

An application will be judged at several levels:

Firstly, is a complete re-tile necessary?

Often, problems of water ingress are due to lack of maintenance such as

• Deterioration of mortar between the ridge tiles
• Failure to clear leaves and debris from guttering and valley gutters
• Failure to remove any vegetation growth from the roof slopes, and often, simple remedial action of re-pointing the ridge and general debris removal so as to enable an effective dispersal of water of the roof should have an immediate benefit.

Further, inadequate guttering provision and poor flashing details around dormers and roof lights can provide weak junction points vulnerable to water ingress, and work to these areas may also solve certain problems, alleviating the need for other, more disruptive and costly work.

Secondly, what are the implications of such work on the architectural and historic character of the particular building?

An old roof slope or elevation of tile hanging usually displays attractive aesthetic qualities of patina of age, and surface undulations reflecting gradual movement of the structure over its lifetime, and these may be lost in a complete re-tile.

Also, there will be a high degree of tile replacement – usually approximately 30%, and approval of replacements will usually be a condition of any listed building consent.

Other considerations include amendments to eaves detailing and provision for adequate ventilation of roof timbers if it is proposed to install felt under the tiles, (though this is not always necessary for building performance purposes).

Several relatively local tile manufacturers are now producing new hand made clay tiles in a variety of shades, textures and cambers, and many are available in special sizes, including the old ‘Kent Peg’ size, tapered oast tiles, ornamental tiles, and mathematical tiles. These are suitable for both patch repairs and re-tiling projects, as well as extensions to listed buildings.

Most manufacturers have a specific style, and you are advised to obtain several different samples in order to find those most suitable to your particular building. Manufacturers include:

• Aldershaw Handmade Clay Tiles - 01424 756777
• Babylon Tile Works - 01622 843018
• Keymer Handmade Tiles - 01444 232931
• Robus Ceramics - 01233 750330
• Spicer Tiles - 01233 820180
• Tudor Roof Tile Co. Limited - 01797 320202

Thatch

The following text has been devised by the Kent Conservation Officers Group in accordance with English Heritage Guidelines, with the support of the Kent Planning Officers Group. It has been adopted by Ashford Borough Council as Supplementary Planning Guidance.

Thatch is one of the oldest methods of roofing a building. In Kent, longstraw was traditionally used. Long-straw has a distinctive appearance; the eaves and barges are invariably decorated with a pattern of liggers and the roof covering looks as if it has ‘poured’ onto the roof. The ridges of long-straw roofs are usually flush and block ridges are inappropriate to the local scene. There has been a tendency since 1945 to replace long-straw thatch with water reed or combed wheat reed.

• Long-straw thatch should be used for re-thatching of existing thatched buildings
• Where thatch has been lost to other materials, the reinstatement of long-straw thatch will be encouraged. (The barns at Little Grays Farm at Marshside are an example where thatching with longstraw has restored the traditional appearance)
• Thatched roofs should be preserved and listed building consent will not be given for their replacement with different roof materials
• If mediaeval thatch survives with its characteristic smoke blackening it should be retained in-situ and overlaid
• Roofs should normally be thatched in long-straw (which is the thatch traditional to Kent), using local ways of detailing eaves, ridges and verges.

Listed Building Consent will be required for the following works on Listed thatched buildings:

1. A proposed removal of material which is of historic or archaeological importance
2. A proposed change of material between long-straw and water reed and any other botanically distinct species
3. A proposed change of material between long-straw and combed wheat reed, which may be botanically the same but have been prepared differently
4. A proposed change of thatching method between the main styles
5. A proposed change of external appearance or surface configuration, such as the formation of a different ridge Where thatch is being considered for new buildings, a ‘contemporary’ thatching material such as water reed or combed wheat reed, may be appropriate and this would maintain a variety of thatching styles

Further information is available from the following organisations:

English Heritage publish ‘Thatch and Thatching; a guidance note product code XH20106, available free of charge

Customer Services telephone : 020 7973 3000 (Switchboard)

The Society for the Protection of Ancient Buildings offer technical advice on all aspects of maintaining historic buildings, and publish a pamphlet: ‘The Care and Repair of Thatched Roofs’

Telephone : 020 7377 1644

Building Conservation publishes articles on thatching and a directory of suppliers of thatch and thatching contractors

If you require any further general advice about listed buildings or conservation areas please contact our Planning Enquiries Team on 01233 330264 or contact us via email. 

For detailed advice on works to particular listed buildings please contact one of the Conservation Officers on either 01233 330729 or 01233 330739.