Sanded Plain Tile Lincolnshire
This Grade II listed church was dedicated to Saint Nicholas, whose legendary habit of secret gift giving gave rise to the traditional model of Santa Claus (Saint Nick).
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.
