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We were delighted to be featured in the Winter edition of Conservation News magazine, a publication dedicated to the conservation, repair and stewardship of historic buildings across the UK.
The feature highlights William Blyth’s long-standing heritage, our commitment to traditional craftsmanship, and our role in supporting conservation-led and heritage-sensitive projects through authentic handmade clay roof tiles.
What is Conservation News Magazine?
Conservation News is a respected industry magazine read by conservation officers, architects, heritage professionals and building specialists. It focuses on best practice in conservation, traditional materials, specialist craftsmanship and the protection of historic buildings.
Being featured within the Winter edition places William Blyth alongside organisations and projects that share a commitment to authenticity, responsibility and long-life performance in the built environment.
The William Blyth Story
For more than 180 years, we have played a quiet but vital role in shaping Britain’s historic roofs. Founded in 1840 on the south bank of the River Humber, we remain the UK’s last manufacturer still producing handmade clay roof tiles using our own Humber clay and centuries-old traditional methods.
Our story is rooted in Barton-upon-Humber, a town whose rich alluvial clay and river access made it a natural centre for tilemaking as early as the 17th century. While much of the industry mechanised or disappeared, we chose to preserve the craft, shaping each tile by hand, air-drying naturally, and firing in traditional coal-fired kilns to achieve the depth of colour, texture and character that heritage buildings demand.
Through industrial change, war and modernisation, our approach has remained constant. That continuity has earned the trust of conservation officers, architects and heritage bodies who rely on authentic materials for listed buildings and historic sites across the UK.
Today, our tiles can be found on some of the country’s most important heritage projects. They are not reproductions of history, but its continuation — made from the same earth, in the same way, with the same respect for craft that has defined William Blyth for generations.
Read The Feature
You can read the full article and explore our heritage in the Conservation News Winter edition online: https://www.conservationnews.co.uk/magazine/winter-2025/#62