07460 07229724/7 Available info@stormguardroofing.ukWitney · Oxfordshire · Cotswolds Services Service Areas Our WorkReviewsAboutContactGet a Free Quote - Roofers in Witney - Roofing Services - Listed & heritageRoofing services # Listed Building AndConservation RoofingFrom Witney To The Cotswolds Heritage roofs punish shortcuts. We handle the materials, the traditional detailing and the council's requirements start to finish, including a recent 190sqm listed roof and felt replacement in OX29. Get my free fixed-price quote07460 072297 Grade II listed work is core to what we do · 9.83/10 from 159 Checkatrade reviews ## Recent listed building and work - 100+ Five-star Checkatrade reviews - 190sqm Listed roof completed in OX29 - 9.83/10 159 Checkatrade reviews - £5m Public liability insurance - 20 years Guarantee on new pitched roofs ## What listed and conservation roofing involves A listed building's roof is part of what is protected. Materials, method, detailing and sometimes the fixings themselves are constrained by the listing or by the conservation area the property sits in, and the local authority has a legitimate say in what is done. In practice that means the covering usually has to match what is already there, stone slate, natural slate, clay plain tile, in the same sizes and laid to the same pattern, with traditional lead detailing rather than modern substitutes. Where reclaimed material is required, sourcing it is part of the job. It also means the process is different. There is a conversation to be had with the council before work starts, records to keep, and an expectation that the work is carried out in a way that respects the original construction rather than simply making the building watertight. We handle that process directly. A recent 190sqm listed roof and felt replacement in OX29 went through exactly this route, with the council's requirements handled start to finish so the owners were not the ones chasing it. ### Who this is for, and when it is needed - Grade II listed houses and cottages Where the covering is failing and the replacement has to satisfy both the weather and the listing. - Properties in a conservation area Not listed themselves, but constrained on materials and appearance by the area they sit in. - Cotswold stone slate roofs Diminishing-course stone roofs where sizing, sorting and setting out are as important as the material. - Barn and outbuilding conversions Conversions where the roof has to keep its character while gaining modern insulation and performance. - Owners who have been refused or delayed Where previous quotes have not satisfied the local authority, or a project has stalled on the roofing specification. ## The cost of getting a heritage roof wrong On a listed property there are two things that can go wrong: the roof can fail, and the work itself can become a problem. ### What it leads to - Work carried out on a listed building without the right consent can have to be undone at the owner's expense. - Modern materials on a historic roof look wrong from the moment they go on and can affect the value and saleability of the property. - Cement mortar used where lime should be traps moisture in soft stone and damages the fabric it was meant to protect. - Water ingress into a historic timber structure causes rot in roof members that are difficult and expensive to replace like for like. - Stone slates broken during a badly planned strip cannot simply be bought new, they have to be sourced or matched. - A stalled project on a listed property means scaffolding, delay and cost while an unsuitable specification is reworked. ### Common mistakes - Assuming a modern interlocking tile can replace stone or natural slate because it is cheaper and faster. - Letting a contractor skip the conversation with the local authority to save time at the start. - Using mortar fillets in place of traditional lead detailing on chimneys and abutments. - Discarding sound reclaimable material during the strip, when it is exactly what the replacement needs. - Insulating a historic roof in a way that stops the structure breathing and creates condensation in the timbers. Getting the specification and the council conversation right at the start is what makes a heritage roof straightforward instead of stressful. How we work ## Our process, start to finish - Step 1 ### Free inspection We look at the covering, the structure, the lead detail and the existing material, and establish what can be reclaimed and reused. - Step 2 ### Specification and council requirements A written scope suited to the listing or conservation area, and the council's requirements handled directly rather than left with you. - Step 3 ### Careful strip and salvage The roof is stripped so that reusable stone, slate or tile is preserved and sorted, with the structure inspected as it is exposed. - Step 4 ### Rebuild with traditional detailing Timber repairs, new underlay and battens where appropriate, and the covering re-laid to the original pattern with hand-formed leadwork at every junction. - Step 5 ### Verification and handover The finished roof is checked, the site cleared, and you receive a before-and-after photographic report and your workmanship guarantee. What you get ## The difference it makes - ### The council process handled We deal with the local authority's requirements on the property so it does not fall to you to manage it. - ### Materials that match Stone slate, natural slate and clay tile laid to the original pattern, with reclaimed material reused where it is sound. - ### Traditional leadwork Hand-formed lead at chimneys, valleys and abutments instead of the mortar fillets that heritage roofs are so often patched with. - ### Long workmanship guarantee New pitched roofs carry a 20-year workmanship guarantee; repairs carry 5 years. - ### Proven on listed work A 190sqm listed roof and felt replacement completed in OX29, described by the owner as a smooth and stress-free process. - ### Documented throughout Before-and-after photographic reports give you a record of the structure and the work carried out on it. ## Materials, methods and heritage detail ### Cotswold stone slate Stone slate roofs are laid in diminishing courses, with the largest slates at the eaves reducing in size towards the ridge. Setting out that gradation correctly is what makes a stone roof look right; get it wrong and the roof reads as new from a hundred metres away even with the correct material. Slates are sorted and graded during the strip, holed and hung, and bedded where the tradition of the building requires it. Sound reclaimed material is reused and shortfalls made up from matched sources. ### Natural slate and clay plain tile Welsh and other natural slates are specified by size and thickness to match the existing roof, with head or centre nailing appropriate to the exposure. Clay plain tiles are matched on colour, camber and size, and laid to the correct gauge with the original bond preserved at hips, valleys and swept detail. ### Lime mortar and bedding Historic roofs and stone walls need a mortar that can move and breathe. Cement-rich mixes are harder than the stone around them, which pushes moisture and decay into the fabric. Bedding, verges and haunching on a heritage roof are done with an appropriate lime mix. ### Traditional leadwork on heritage roofs Chimney aprons, stepped flashings, soakers, back gutters, valley linings and saddles are hand-formed in the correct lead code and cut into the joint. On a listed property, this is usually what the authority expects to see and what the building needs regardless. ### Roof structure and historic timber Once a heritage roof is stripped, the structure is visible, often for the first time in a century. Repairs are made to keep as much original timber as possible, splicing or supporting rather than wholesale replacement where the member can be saved. ### Insulation and breathability Improving the thermal performance of a historic roof has to be done without trapping moisture in the structure. Membrane choice and ventilation strategy are decided together, because a vapour-tight modern build-up on an old roof creates condensation problems that were never there before. ### Churches, barns and estate buildings The same material knowledge applies to converted barns, estate outbuildings and larger heritage structures, where scale, access and phasing become part of the plan. Questions ## Frequently asked Do I need consent to re-roof a listed building?Work to a listed building generally needs the local authority's involvement, and what is required varies with the property and the work. We handle the council's requirements on the property as part of the job rather than leaving it with you. How much does a listed roof cost?More than a standard re-roof, because the material, the salvage work and the detailing all take longer. Inspection and quote are free, and the quote is fixed price to the best of our ability. How long does a listed roof take?Longer than an equivalent modern roof, careful stripping, sorting and traditional detailing all add time. We give you a timescale with the quote. The 190sqm listed roof and felt replacement we completed in OX29 ran to the agreed process throughout. Can you reuse my existing stone slates or tiles?Wherever they are sound, yes. Salvaging and reusing the original covering is usually both what the property needs and what the authority prefers. Can a listed roof be insulated?It can, but the build-up has to let the structure breathe. We decide the membrane and ventilation strategy together so improving the thermal performance does not cause condensation in historic timbers. What guarantee do I get on heritage work?The same terms as any other roof: 20 years on a new pitched roof, 15 on felt flat roof systems, 20 on GRP or EPDM, and 5 years on repairs. Do you work in conservation areas as well as on listed buildings?Yes. Conservation-area properties are constrained on materials and appearance even when they are not individually listed, and we specify accordingly. Will the new roof look like the old one?That is the objective. Matching material, size, coursing and detail is what separates a heritage re-roof from a modern one, and diminishing courses on stone roofs are set out deliberately for that reason. Are you insured for work on a listed property?Yes: £5,000,000 public liability insurance, and we are City & Guilds qualified and members of the Construction Award Alliance. Which areas do you cover?The Cotswolds and Oxfordshire including Witney, Stonesfield, Woodstock, Charlbury, Chipping Norton, Burford, Stow-on-the-Wold, Moreton-in-Marsh, Bourton-on-the-Water and Chipping Campden, plus Gloucestershire and Warwickshire. Related work ## Other services we handle - ### Pitched Roof Installation Read more - ### Roof Leadwork And Flashings Read more - ### Chimney Repairs And Flashings Read more - ### Roof Repairs And Leak Tracing Read moreWe cover Witney, Stonesfield, Woodstock, Charlbury, Chipping Norton, Burford and the wider area. See all roofing services, recent work, or go back to the home page. ## Talk to someone who has done listed roofs before Free inspection, a specification that suits the building, and the council's requirements handled start to finish. 07460 0722979.83/10 from 159 Checkatrade reviews · £5,000,000 public liability · Free quotes and inspections Roofing contractor based in Witney, covering Oxfordshire, Gloucestershire and Warwickshire. Pitched and flat roofing, leadwork, and Grade II listed and conservation roofing across the Cotswolds. - 07460 072297 - 01993 898807 - info@stormguardroofing.uk - 24/7 On The Line - 11 Cockshoot Close, Stonesfield, Witney, Oxfordshire, OX29 8ED ### Services - Pitched roofing in Oxfordshire - Flat roofing in Oxfordshire - Felt flat roofs in Oxfordshire - GRP fibreglass in Oxfordshire - EPDM rubber in Oxfordshire - Leadwork in Oxfordshire - Listed & heritage in Oxfordshire - Fascias & guttering in Oxfordshire - Chimney work in Oxfordshire - Roof repairs in Oxfordshire - Emergency call-outs in Oxfordshire ### Areas Covered - Roofers in Witney - Roofers in Stonesfield - Roofers in Woodstock - Roofers in Charlbury - Roofers in Chipping Norton - Roofers in Burford - Roofers in Banbury - Roofers in Stow-on-the-Wold - Roofers in Moreton-in-Marsh - Roofers in Bourton-on-the-Water - Roofers in Chipping Campden - Roofers in Shipston-on-StourGet a Free Quote About Stormguard RoofingRoofing ReviewsRoofing ProjectsContact Our RoofersPrivacy PolicyCookie PolicyTerms & Conditions© 2026 Storm Guard Roofing Limited. All rights reserved.