Church Restoration, South West

Challenge

A fine example of an English historic church, originally dating back to Medieval times, St Andrews has been sensitively restored to its former state, using old and new materials and combining modern construction methods with traditional craftsmanship. Over a period of time, the condition of the church roof had gradually deteriorated, due to slipped tiles and the general failure and rusting of nails allowing rainwater damage to the timber rafters and some of the interior.

The main challenge was how to undertake the scale of works required, balancing important historic and aesthetic considerations with the need to operate within very tight budget constraints.

Solution

Mindful of the need to preserve the character and detailing of the original roof and for practicalities of further replacement in future years, the North facing front elevation was re-roofed using solely the reclaimed tiles from the site and the South facing rear elevation was roofed entirely with Tudor’s new handmade peg tiles.

The choice of replacement roof tiles was critical to maintaining the aesthetic integrity of the building and its Victorian roof. The Architects collaborated closely with Tudor Roof Tile Co. Ltd to produce over 10,000 new handmade clay peg roof tiles plus eaves and gable tiles which were specially made for the project using natural fired clay, with no sand or colouring on the face to match the size, thickness, camber and colour of the originals.

Result

St Andrews, Blunsdon, has been meticulously restored to its former state, thanks to the close collaboration of the professional and building teams, which ensured that the sensitive conservation of this delightful small parish church was completed in time, within budget and to the satisfaction of the client and local community.