Repairs to the Roof of a Welsh Manor House

Traditional repair techniques to a national gem

In this beautiful and very thoughtful project, the client also acted as main contractor for this dilapidated manor house in Monmouthshire, a stone’s throw from the River Monnow.  Years of neglect had left its slate roof leaky and patched, with inevitable impacts on the historic roof timbers within.

Manifest were appointed as consultant architects for this grade II* listed building, carrying out condition surveys and drawing up detailed repairs suitable for listed building consent and for contractors’ working drawings.  We then carried out many of the repairs on site as one of a team of conservation carpenters.

Our continual presence as craftspeople on site allowed us to hold constant dialogue with both client and other carpenters, meaning that the works evolved in an organic fashion as new conditions were uncovered – an inevitable part of working with an existing building.  Repairs were intensely conservative, recording all existing details before any part of the works commenced, and retaining the absolute maximum of historic fabric, using traditional repair techniques and materials.