Case Studies | William Blyth

St Osyth's Priory - Grade I listed property.

St Osyth’s priory has a long and fascinating history which dates back centuries with many prestige members of the monarchy, lords and ladies owning the priory during this time. In 1642 the house was left for ruin, and it wasn’t until half a century later that work began to restore it to its original grandeur. Comprising of a remarkable collection of Grade I and Grade II listed buildings set within Grade II listed grounds. more >

In 1999 the priory was purchased by the Sargeant family, by this point it was in desperate need of essential works. After the family’s great deal of work into securing the future of this prestigious heritage site work was able to begin to restore this exceptional property back to its former glory. William Blyth is honoured to have been specified for this project, supplying our Light Antique Old English Barco Pantiles and fittings which we are still supplying for various new builds and restoration work on this ongoing project.

Castle Acre Priory, Norfolk

Dating back to 1090, Castle Acre Priory is one of England’s largest and best-preserved monastic sites. It was home to the first Cluniac order of the monks to England with the priory being dissolved by King Henry VIII in 1537. By 1558 the buildings were demolished. With the full site now in the care of English Heritage. more >

Our Old English Barco Pantiles in Natural Red was specified for this historic building, to match what was previously used. Given time the tiles will weather to a mature appearance, blending in with the spectacular surroundings.

Humber Bridge Garden Centre

One of our newest ventures is Humber Bridge Garden Centre, a purpose-built garden centre located in Barton upon Humber. Showcasing the best of our handmade products using a bespoke brick created by our sister company, Sussex Handmade Brick, specifically for this project. The roof finished in Light Antique Old English Barco Pantiles, light antique plain tiles and 18” Hogsback ridges to subtly blend and compliment the brick work.

The Kings Meadow Baths, Reading

Built in 1902 this is a rare example of a traditional Edwardian women’s swimming pool, so unusual that it is thought to be the oldest surviving outdoor municipal pool of its type and has been awarded Grade II listed status. The Lido which was previously used exclusively for female swimmers is being restored and developed into a cultural destination which will include a restaurant, bar, 25-metre pool, sauna, hot tub and spa. more >

William Blyth’s handmade natural red plain tiles have been selected for this magnificent Lido as our tiles are the best match to the originals, complementing the original brick work and bespoke materials used on the Thames Lido. Due to the unique weathering properties, once laid the tiles will produce a matured appearance to blend in perfectly just as they had previously. William Blyth tiles can be laid as one colour or blended with other colours to give any roof its own unique appearance.

Laurel Farm – Great Gidding

Previously a disused farmhouse and outbuilding’s, this site has been transformed into two properties and is now the offices for Folium Architects who were also the designers for the project. Used as a learning experience, the main aim of the project was to use sustainable building technologies and materials to create this traditional and spectacular finish. Our Barco Old English Pantiles in Natural Red were used for the roofs on this project to perfectly finish the buildings whilst still being in fitting with the rest of this farm and outbuildings.

Harbour View, Walberswick. Suffolk private development.

This private development built in the picturesque village of Walberswick by developer Simon Rockall of Heniam Ltd boasts three luxury and unique properties built with only the finest of handmade materials. William Blyth was privileged to supply our Light Antique handmade Barco Pantiles with a range of fittings on such an extraordinary and high-quality build. Nothing but the finest materials were used on these multi-million-pound properties

St. Nicholas Church, Cabourne

Located in Cabourne, a hamlet and civil parish in the West Lindsey district of Lincolnshire, is home to a spectacular example of historic England dating back to 11th and 15th Century, St. Nicholas Church. This Grade II listed church was dedicated to Saint Nicholas, who’s legendary habit of secret gift giving gave rise to the traditional model of Santa Claus (Saint Nick). more >

Having a varied past after being heavily restored in 1872 by Sir A W Blomfield who was able to retain many original features of the 11th – 15th century which include Medieval masonry and a Norman front which was unearthed from below the floor during the restoration. After a year of surveys, including bat surveys the work went ahead in Winter 2015 to replace the church roof as it had deteriorated in a number of places allowing water to seep through and cause staining on the sarking which was visible in the nave.

Work on this grade II listed church had to be approached with sensitivity, respecting the heritage and history of this beautiful building and the surroundings. William Blyth’s roof tiles were specified by the local conservation officer for this magnificent church. Due to their unique weathering properties and renowned durability created by age-old methods of drying and firing natural alluvial clay from the banks of the river Humber and time honoured traditional manufacturing methods ensures that the tiles would weather and blend in with the surroundings after just a few years.

After several site meetings with the appointed roofing contractor, The Roofing Corporation and William Blyth it was established that the most suitable tile from the William Blyth range for this project would be the handmade Autumn Orange Sanded Plain Tile. This particular tile is cut from a dowel of clay, hand sanded, shaped, trimmed and nail holed. Once made each tile is placed onto a specially shaped drying rack to help achieve a double camber. Combining the natural properties of the alluvial clay and sand facing creates a tile full of character, resembling the individual marks of the maker.

The Roofing Corporation was appointed for their traditional methods of working and the previously completed works on heritage churches and properties of distinction. Located in Caistor, The Roofing Corporation had a varied scope of work to manage including, re-roofing works, drain surveys, external paint works, bird protection systems and pest control systems to the bell tower.

In total for this project over sixteen thousand tiles and fittings were used to re-roof the church. William Blyth was also set the task of replicating the ridge tiles, as although some of the originals could be salvaged, a number of damaged ridges had to be replaced. A sample ridge was provided to help remake a traditional wooden mould allowing for the additional shrinkage the ridge tiles were made to a perfect match to help blend in seamlessly with the originals. This is where the team at William Blyth were truly able to show their knowledge that has been passed down maker to maker through generations to retain the heritage, skills and expertise that have stood the test of time.

Grade II listed cottage, Bishopthorpe, York

This spectacular L shape Grade II listed property situated close to the River Ouse and adjacent to the Historic Bishopthorpe Palace, home to the Archbishop of York. After several repairs a full re-roof was needed which Geoff Neal Roofing undertook using the specified Natural Red Barco Pantiles to maintain the aesthetics of the period property. This expansive roof took just three weeks to complete and given time will weather to a mature appearance in keeping with the surroundings.

The Mithras Temple

The Mithras Temple discovered in 1954 during excavation work for the construction on the Bucklersbury House following the Blitz is perhaps one of the most significant and famous discoveries of London. A decision was made for the ruins to be dismantled and moved 100 metres into storage where in 1962 the foundations were reassembled at street level for public display. This reconstruction was not accurate and incorporated new materials to replace parts that had been lost over the years. more >

In 2010 the Bloomberg company decided to restore the Mithareum to its original discovery site where a team of 50 archaeologists excavated the original site recovering more than 14,000 items. A team from PAYE conservation painstakingly restored the Mithras temple sourcing materials from around the country to help with the project. This is where William Blyth came in and handmade replicas of a very specific brick, this was handmade to the exact specification required by our team of highly skilled potters.

On 14th November 2017 the Mithraeum opened to the public showcasing hundred of the object found on the site creating a unique viewing experience with the addition of low level lighting, mist and sound effects to transport you back to London AD 240. Our traditional handmade products are used for a wide variety of different projects from the modern, to heritage builds but to be involved with such a significant part of London’s history just shows how our exceptional our products truly are.

The National Horseracing Museum

Located on a five-acre site in the heart of Newmarket, which is widely recognised as the international home of horseracing, this £15 million-pound project has taken nearly two years to be completed after 10 years of planning. Beautifully designed by Mather & Co, this is one of their most prestigious projects to date. Opened by Her Majesty The Queen on Thursday 3rd November 2015 the new and improved horseracing museum now has 12 galleries which showcase the internationally significant collection that has grown over the last 30 years. more >

Chris Mathers, CEO, Mather & Co explains to Bdaily “It’s been a complex project due to the historic setting and the listed status of some of the site buildings so we have taken a coordinated approach with the conservation architects and English Heritage to deliver an outstanding visitors attraction that’s sympathetic to its heritage.”

Over 18,000 of William Blyth’s handmade weathered plain tiles have been used. As well as 37,000 Henley metric bricks and 22,000 Henley Imperial bricks not including the specials that have been done, all handmade by our sister company Sussex Handmade Brick. Both the tiles and the bricks beautifully complement one another to effortlessly blend into this living piece of history.

We are very proud and privileged to have been involved in such a unique project and look forward to being involved in similar projects in the upcoming future.

Roman Villa, The Newt, Somerset

Lying over the original site of the Roman ruins dating back to 351 A.D. The Newt wanted to celebrate the findings and create a unique visitor experience. William Blyth was approached by Stonewood Builders and Stonewood Design Architects to undertake the task of recreating Tegula and Imbrex tiles that were used for the roofing and Tubuli that were used in the vast and complex underground heating system. William Blyth painstakingly set to work recreating thousands of replica products, all handmade on site by our talented team. This was the most ambitious reconstruction project that William Blyth have undertaken giving a real insight into Roman life.

Private Residential Property near Woodbridge, Suffolk

Showcasing William Blyth’s handmade sanded range of plain tiles and fittings in two complimentary colours, Antique Red and Chestnut Brown this property really is a statement house. The mixture of materials used, perfectly blended to give this home a modern feel whilst still being in keeping with the stunning rural surroundings

Water Tower, Dorset

Overlooking the Dorset coastline, this conical roof was recently refurbished by Verve Properties. Our handmade Weathered Plain tiles were chosen out of several other manufacturers tiles samples as the best match to the existing roof tiles. To transform this property to its former glory over 6,000 Weathered Plain tiles and fittings were used.

The Old Tile Works Restaurant, Barton upon Humber

The Old Tile Works Restaurant was roofed using Natural Red Plain Tiles and Old English Barco Pantiles in both Light Antique and Natural Red to compliment the warm, yet rustic tones of the bespoke blend of bricks supplied by Sussex Handmade Brick. Adjacent to the restaurant the site expanded to also have an artisan village, Light Antique Barco Old English Pantiles were used to blend in with the sites existing matured roofs.

The Nest, Hopton Yard, Yoxford

This rural development situated in a quiet, tucked away location consist of just four exceptional properties. Recently winning the RICS (East) Best Residential Project 2016 these properties have been designed by award winning architects and are constructed of only the finest materials that are sympathetic to the history of the beautiful village of Yoxford. more >

With the eye-catching handmade clay, plain tiles taking centre stage of this distinctive development, effortlessly wrapped around the building’s exterior walls creating a unique and distinguished look for each property.

Not only is this development award winning, it has also featured in prestigious publications such as, The Telegraph, The Times, East Anglian Daily Times, Bury Free Press and East Anglian Daily Times Suffolk.

Private house on the North Norfolk Coast

This replacement dwelling was to replace a previous building from the 1960’s that was demolished on this spectacular plot overlooking the North Sea. Cowper Griffiths Architects used traditional materials on the exterior with the interior having an entirely contemporary finish. William Blyth’s Natural Red Barco Pantiles and fittings were used on this commanding property adding to the striking difference between the exterior and interior of this property.