Two types of Welsh
Slate roofing slates have helped breathe new life into the stunning Grade II
listed dining hall of a top independent school.
A total of 15,000 of
Welsh Slate's rectangular Cwt y Bugail and arrow-head Penrhyn Heather Blue
slates now feature on the duo-pitch roof of the "Big
School Kitchen" at Clifton College in Bristol.
The three-storey
dining hall/kitchen, which is one of, if not the biggest building in a cluster
of stunning Victorian constructions, had not been re-roofed since it was built
156 years ago to a design by architect Charles Hansom.
And when a condition
survey showed a refurbishment was required to protect the historic ceiling
underneath local planners insisted the roof slates had to be replaced like for
like, with Welsh Slate.
They were also keen to
see as much of the original slate salvaged as possible and around 1,000 slates
were used to re-roof the lower-level "quad" roof as part of a larger
project to update the refectory facilities at the college which lies in a
Conservation Area.
Architect Mark Webber,
of Nichols Brown Webber LLP, said: "Any replacement slate had to be
natural slate to match the original, in texture, colour, pattern, design style
and slate type. The existing was Welsh therefore we needed to go with Welsh and
they matched the existing perfectly. Cheaper imported slates would not have
been acceptable to the planners and conservation officer.
"As it was such a
large expanse of roof, the slate played a massive part in the project and the
results are a beautiful and dramatic roof. Welsh slate is renowned for its
durability and the roof may not be re-roofed for another 100 years or so, so had
to last the test of time."
The work included
repairs to stone chimneys and replacement of all leadwork to match the
existing. This took three months and was carried out by specialist roofing
contractor M Camilleri and Sons Roofing who also introduced 50mm insulation
boards between the rafters to improve the roof's u-value.
The
1,000m2 of existing roof covering was stripped and renewed on
a sectional phasing plan to maintain weather tightness and to ensure the
ceiling inside was not left exposed to the elements.
One of the key
aesthetic features of the original roof was ornamental banding of slates of
differing colour and shape. To replicate this patterning, Welsh Slate's Cwt y
Bugail slates from Llan Ffestiniog and Penrhyn slates from Bethesda were
selected.
The rectangular Cwt y
Bugail Dark Blue Grey 500x300mm slates were used with four decorative bands
within the roof, made up of five courses of Penrhyn Heather Blue 500x300mm
slates which were individually cut to an arrow-head shape. All the slates were
traditionally fixed with two copper nails into graded timber battens.
The roof features also
included 20 dormers and a particularly long open rafter - over 10 metres - with
lath and plaster ceiling boards underneath, as well as pitches of approximately
60° and significant amounts of lead detailing.
Marco Camilleri said:
"It was imperative that the historic ceiling remained intact and was not
subject to weather damage but the steep pitch and long rafter length were
especially challenging to deal with, both in terms of materials distribution
and providing safe access to undertake the work.
"Due to
surrounding buildings and the height to roof level, vertical access for
materials distribution was limited. The school was open throughout the contract
period which also placed considerable constraints on access and
deliveries."
He added: "Welsh
slates are widely recognised as the finest natural roofing slate in the world
and the slates used on this project were, as expected, of the highest
quality."
The college's estates
bursar, Paul Williams, said: "We are really impressed with the quality of
the materials and workmanship on our new roof and pleased that we were able to
recreate the original design."
Aerol, one of the
college's business enterprise groups, raised money for MacMillan Cancer Support
by turning the old slates into drink coasters and cheese boards which were
laser etched with the schools' crest and sold at the prep school Christmas
fair.
