Roofers in Tillington

The parish church of All Hallows is listed Grade I, the highest grade there is. Its oldest identifiable parts are the late 12th-century south arcade and chancel arch. The tower and open stone spire, the Scots Crown, date from 1807 and were paid for by Lord Egremont of Petworth House. Tradition names J.M.W. Turner, a frequent visitor to Petworth, as the designer; that has been doubted, though it cannot be wholly discounted. The nave roof is mostly 19th-century, with some timbers from the 14th. A church altered across so many centuries is better read as a layered record than as a single roof, and a roofer has to read it before lifting a slate.

1.1 Old timbers under a newer roof

Where medieval and Victorian carpentry share one roof, many hands have repaired it over the years. Once the covering is off, the rafters and plates underneath tell the story: some are sound oak, some are later patches, and some were cut for a purpose that no longer exists. We photograph each timber as it is exposed. The aim is to keep every old piece that can still do its job, because replacing sound wood for convenience removes something from the building that cannot be put back, and the survey photographs become part of the record the church keeps.

1.2 Lead, gutters and the church roof

On a church the lead does much of the waterproofing, and the rainwater goods carry water clear of walls that were never meant to stay wet. Lead is graded by code. Royston Lead's brochure puts code 5, at 2.24 mm, and code 6, at 2.65 mm, among the sheets listed for flashings, valleys and parapets. MyJobQuote says lead flashing can last over 80 years, and Less says a lead flat roof can last from 50 to 100 years, so a well-laid lead roof can outlive several coverings. Our lead roofing and leadwork page sets out where each weight belongs.

1.3 The faculty route

All Hallows is Anglican, so the ecclesiastical exemption applies and roof works are authorised through the faculty jurisdiction in place of listed building consent. Planning permission remains a separate question wherever the exterior would change. We work alongside the church's own officers, who decide who has to agree before anything starts, and our part is the coverings, the lead and the rainwater goods. The quote we give for that part is one total price, written after the survey.

The National Park Authority lists two conservation areas in the parish, Tillington and Upperton. Tillington lies in a delegated part of the Park: Chichester's district council processes the applications on the Authority's behalf, while building control stays with the district. Upperton has its own boundary map, published by the Park Authority beside Tillington's, so a house between the two is worth checking against both. A roof question in the village can therefore involve two bodies, and the first job is working out which one your job needs. We explain that at the survey, before any scaffold is booked, and we handle the Building Regulations notification when work is notifiable.

3.1 What the Article 4 page shows

The Authority's Article 4 page lists no direction for Tillington. That means no direction there has taken away permitted development rights for roofs, although conservation areas and listed buildings carry controls of their own. If you are thinking of adding a roof window to an old slope, read our guide to skylight planning permission first, because a listed building or a conservation area can change the answer.

3.2 Scaffold, wildlife and the written quote

Scaffold on or over a highway needs a licence under section 169 of the Highways Act 1980. In West Sussex the county council wants a minimum of 10 working days' notice and sets the fee at £266 for a month. Bats can roost in a roof void and birds nest under eaves, both protected, so we look before opening either. After the survey you receive a verdict with photographs and, separately from it, one total price on paper. Four things move that price: access, the covering chosen, how big the roof is and whatever the survey turns up when the old covering is lifted.

3.3 If a gale gets under the slates

A leak after a storm is dealt with in a set order. Leaks and storm damage come first in our diary, and the first visit to a leaking roof is about making it safe. Which? advises telling your insurer early, taking pictures of the damage and holding on to receipts for any temporary repair, because that paper trail supports whatever you decide to claim. The lasting repair follows once the roof can be examined properly in daylight, with the damaged area photographed from close up and the wider slope checked for further loose pieces, and on a listed or conservation area house we confirm the consent position before anything permanent is done.