Roofer in West Chiltington

Two conservation areas, two kinds of roof

West Chiltington has two conservation areas. The historic village has been a conservation area since the 1970s, and in January 2024 the district council designated the West Chiltington Lanes Conservation Area, covering fourteen lanes including Spinney Lane, Sunset Lane and Threals Lane.

The Lanes and their cottages

The council’s appraisal describes the Lanes as an interwar development influenced by the Arts and Crafts movement. After the First World War a local builder began putting up cottages here, and it is thought he built up to 176 of them in the parish. Many were designed with thatched roofs; most now have clay tile, a change the appraisal puts down to expediency.

What that means for roof work

The appraisal treats keeping thatch as important and supports returning thatch to tiled roofs. It also asks for new dormers to be traditional in form, and prefers flush, conservation-style rooflights. Designation brings extra controls over demolition and alterations, so before any re-roof that changes the look of a cottage, check with the district council.

Sandstone ridges and wooded lanes

The Lanes sit on low sandstone ridges and shallow clay valleys, with narrow, tree-lined lanes. Leaf fall blocks gutters and keeps north-facing slopes damp, so moss and blocked valleys are common. We clear and repair rather than jet-wash old clay tiles.

The older village

Around the church, listed buildings such as Rock Cottage, an eighteenth-century cottage with a hipped tiled roof, need like-for-like materials and, for alterations, listed building consent.