Roofers in West Chiltington

After the First World War, Reginald Fairfax Wells bought land near Roundabout Farm, on the commons of West Chiltington and Nyetimber, and set about building cottages to his own designs. He is thought to have built up to 176 of them in West Chiltington. The conservation area appraisal describes them in white-painted brick, some with timber framing, standing on Hythe sandstone plinths. Many were designed with thatched roofs. Some remain thatched, but most now have clay tile. The village therefore has a particular kind of roof: small, steep-looking, and often re-covered once in its life. The materials add their own detail. White-painted brick shows every stain from a leaking gutter, and sandstone plinths take splashback from the ground, so an overflowing gutter or a cracked downpipe spoils a wall quickly. Low cottages also keep their gutters within reach of weeds and leaves, which means a clear-out once the leaves have fallen does more good here than on a tall house.

1.1 From reed to clay: what a re-covered cottage carries

Changing a roof from thatch to tile changes its load, and the structure beneath was framed for the thatch it first carried, not for the tiles on it now. When we look at one of these cottages we climb into the roof space where we can and read the rafters, the ridge board and the wall plate, the timber that spreads the roof's weight along the top of the wall. Planning Portal guidance is to consult a structural engineer or surveyor if the replacement covering will differ noticeably in weight, and a covering 15 per cent heavier or more brings in building control as well. We flag that early. Thatch itself is a craft for a thatcher. Our part is the tiled roofs, the lead and the chimneys around it.

1.2 Lead, chimneys and eaves on a small cottage

On a small roof every junction counts, because there is so little slope to carry water away. A chimney stack on a low cottage takes a large share of the weather, and the lead flashing round it needs to be sound. Repointing, rebuilding and flashing a stack are all covered on our chimney repairs page. At the eaves, low roofs sit close to hedges and gardens, so the first courses collect leaf litter and stay damp. We check the lowest tiles and the gutter line first, then work upwards. A neat eaves line and a clean verge are what make a Wells cottage look right from the lane.

West Chiltington sits on low sandstone and clay ridges north of the South Downs. The appraisal describes the geology as sandstone and clay, with sunken lanes where the rock shows through. For a roofer that matters mostly at ground level. Houses beside such lanes are often reached by a few steps or a path rather than a drive. A lane cut into the bank can leave a cottage's front wall rising straight from the road, with no pavement and no room for a skip, while the garden behind may sit several steps higher. Tell us what the approach looks like, including any gate width or overhanging branch, and we will plan where the ladders, scaffold and tile deliveries can go. A photograph of the lane taken from the gate, sent by WhatsApp with your enquiry, often saves a visit.

3.1 Scaffold licences on narrow lanes

A scaffold standing in a lane counts as a structure on the highway, and West Sussex County Council, as highway authority, has to license it. Ten working days is the shortest notice the council accepts, and one month of scaffolding is charged at £266. A job on a narrow lane often ends up with scaffold in the road, so we ask about the approach at the survey and build the notice period into the start date. Matching an old clay tile can take time too, since reclaimed tiles have to be found and new handmade ones are made to order. We confirm the supply before fixing the date, because a roof stripped before the tiles arrive stays open to the weather, and nobody wants that. On a small cottage roof the whole job can be planned around one forecast, so ask us how long your slope is likely to stay uncovered, and we will answer from what we see at the survey.

3.2 Two conservation areas, one district council

The village has two conservation areas: West Chiltington Conservation Area, and the West Chiltington Lanes (Wells Cottages) Conservation Area. Horsham District Council publishes the maps and character statements, so check which one your address falls in. Horsham also handles planning and building control for the village. Any listing or direction that applies to your house is a separate matter, and we check for it before work starts. Chimneys on a cottage in a conservation area are worth special care, since their pots, pointing and flashings are part of what gives the roofline its look, so a rebuilt stack should reuse what can be reused. Approved Document L sets the standard for new roof windows at a U-value of 1.4, or Band B on its own energy rating scale, with 2.2 allowed for a rooflight; that table applies until 24 March 2027.