Roofer in Woodhill and West Hill
Slate, tile and leadwork on the older streets of Portishead, including the Woodhill Road, West Hill and Welly Bottom, and East Wood conservation areas.
The oldest roofs in town
Woodhill and West Hill hold much of Portishead’s Georgian and Victorian housing. The character statement describes four-storey Georgian terraces and Victorian villas built in Bath stone and local stone on Woodhill, with tall chimney stacks, and a mix on West Hill running from late Georgian and Victorian villas to 1930s and later houses. East Wood, on the cliff top, is a small area of substantial houses, mainly with slate roofs on the older buildings.
Three of the town’s four conservation areas are here: Woodhill Road and West Hill and Welly Bottom, both designated in 1992, and East Wood, designated in 1993. That affects what can be done to a roof, especially when materials change.
Typical roofs and problems
Listed terraces on Woodhill Road
Historic England lists Adelaide Terrace (9 to 21 Woodhill Road) and 31 to 49 Woodhill Road, built around 1835. Both entries record that the original slate has mostly or largely been replaced in modern tile.
Slate on the villas
Portishead House on Nore Road, a listed building, has a slate roof, as do many of the older villas. Slate itself lasts; the nails holding it are usually what fail.
Tall stacks and lead
Tall chimney stacks catch the wind and the rain. Flashings, flaunching and pointing are where we find most leaks on these houses.
Parapets and gables
Fircliff House, listed, has a battlemented parapet and a crow-stepped gable. Details like these hide gutters and junctions that need regular checking.
Thatch and tile at The Grange
The Grange on the High Street, listed Grade II*, is part tiled and part thatched, a reminder that the town’s oldest roofs need specialist care.
Mixed eras side by side
West Hill also has 1970s and 80s housing, the Mendip Road estate and flat-roofed blocks. One street can need three different approaches.
Working in a conservation area
Like-for-like repairs, matching the existing slate or tile, are normally fine. Changing the covering, adding rooflights on a front slope, or any work to a listed building may need consent from North Somerset Council. We will tell you at the quote stage if we think it does, rather than after the materials arrive.
See also leadwork, re-roofing, and the other area guides for Redcliffe Bay and the Marina.
Sources: Portishead Community Character Statement, areas D, G and H; planning.data.gov.uk conservation area records; Historic England list entries 1291022, 1291008, 1220349, 1220297 and 1220300.
Older house, conservation area, or listed building?
We will look properly and explain what can and cannot be done.