In 2007 West Country Tiling worked on the roof of the Grade II* listed St John the Baptist Church in Foxham, in conjunction with Andrew Townsend Architects. The photos below shows the Cotswold stone slate weathering over time.
History
The church was built in 1878-81 by Gothic revival architect William Butterfield. However, maps show this location was used as a place of worship as far back as 1773. The village of Foxham, just 5 miles northeast of Chippenham, is also home to the 17th century Cadenham Manor.
Complete re-roof
This complex project took seven months to complete and involved:
- erecting a full canopy scaffold
- stripping the roof off in full
- salvaging as many Cotswold stone slates as possible
- and re-roofing the whole church using riven oak laths
When a new stone slate roof is first re-done the difference between the new honey-coloured slates and the original dark-grey weathered slate is quite stark. For this reason, we used as much of the salvaged slate on the front of the church as possible and saved the new slates for the rear.
In the photographs originally taken on completing this project back in 2007, it’s possible to see the distinct difference between the old and the new slates. You may also notice the stone ridge tiles are also a mix of old and new spaced out along the apex.
Cotswold Stone Slate Weathering
The second group of photographs was taken in 2020. After 13 years you can clearly see the slate has weathered beautifully, so the difference between the old and the new parts of the roof are barely distinguishable. The stone has mellowed and cured, giving it a darker, moss covered look with the lovely patina so recognisable as Cotswold stone slate.
Why Choose West Country Tiling
Please see our Stone Slate page for examples of the roofing services we provide throughout the South West of England. We have worked on the roofs of churches, schools, hotels, private residences and National trust properties.
If you are on need a roofing company with extensive experience in historical roofing projects, please get in touch on 01373 462 224 or by emailing us on info@westcountrytiling.com