Listed Building Work

Working on listed buildings

We have specialist experience of listed building roof work in the Lake District and North Lancashire. The roof and its underlying structure are some of the most important features of a listed building and many have survived for hundreds of years. We do everything we can to repair rather than replace and use salvaged and reclaimed materials or natural alternatives.

Consent isn’t usually needed if matching materials are used to complete a like for like repair, but any alteration to the roof’s shape, height and pitch, internal structure or type of covering will require Listed Building Consent, as will the addition of rooflights. If you are located in a conservation area, these will usually require planning permission too.

We can offer professional advice during pre-application preparation, and then work with the local authority, the relevant heritage body and any heritage consultees to ensure that all repairs and replacements are carried out in line with planning conditions and consents. We pride ourselves on using skills, materials and techniques which protect the special character or interest of the building.

Sympathetic repairs can usually be carried out on the roof structure (trusses, purlins, and rafters) with battens most commonly requiring replacement. We will retain external roof features – even where chimneys and pots are no longer functional they can aid all important ventilation. And we take real care in making good any original styling features such as clay and stone ridges which add so much to the character of the building. For slating or tiling we will reuse as much existing material as possible, source reclaimed materials, and in some cases explore the closest natural match.

Listed building conservation services

• Joinery repairs and preservation of timbers
• Roofing repairs and preservation of original features and styling
• Leadwork and metalwork
• Lime mortar re-pointing