The church is recorded before the principal roof coverings and adjoining fabric were dismantled.
NEAL ROOFING / PROJECT ARCHIVE
Re Roofing a Church
All Saints, Newton on Ouse
Major two-phase roof and external-fabric restoration to Grade II listed All Saints Church, involving Westmorland slate, retained stone detailing, specialist leadwork, masonry conservation, structural timber repairs and complex ecclesiastical roofing details.
NEWTON ON OUSE · NORTH YORKSHIRE · CHURCH ROOFING · WESTMORLAND SLATE · LEADWORK
Explore the Project01 — THE PROJECT
A major programme of church roof restoration
All Saints Church at Newton on Ouse occupies a site with ecclesiastical origins extending back centuries. The present church dates principally from the nineteenth century, while the tower and spire incorporate substantially earlier fabric.
Neal Roofing, formerly Geoff Neal Roofing, was appointed to undertake a substantial programme of re-roofing, leadwork, masonry conservation and associated fabric repairs delivered in two principal phases.
HERITAGE ROOFING →
NATURAL SLATE ROOFING →
SPECIALIST LEADWORK →
PROJECT
Church Restoration
DELIVERY
Two Phases
BUILDING
Grade II Listed
PRIMARY MATERIAL
Westmorland Slate
02 — THE BUILDING
A church shaped by centuries of alteration
All Saints incorporates a nave, north and south aisles, chancel, vestry, substantial stone tower and a prominent spire that remains visible across the surrounding landscape.
The nineteenth-century church is enriched by stone detailing, stained glass, carved masonry and memorial features linked historically with nearby Beningbrough Hall.
The different phases of construction created a complex collection of roof interfaces, materials and levels that required a coordinated conservation approach.
03 — THE BRIEF
An architect-led ecclesiastical restoration
The specification was prepared by Ferrey and Mennim Architects and developed around the repair and replacement of deteriorated roof coverings and associated historic fabric.
Funding requirements meant that the work was delivered in two principal phases, allowing the nave and aisles to be addressed before progressing to the chancel, vestry and associated areas.
The project therefore required close coordination between contractor, architect, specialist subcontractors and the client team throughout construction.
Westmorland Slate
Traditional natural slate introduced across the principal church roof elevations.
Leadwork
Secret gutters, soakers, valleys, aprons, flashings and purpose-made junction details.
Conservation
Roofing, masonry, timber, stained glass and architectural features restored together.
04 — SCOPE OF WORKS
Much more than simply re roofing a church.
The project involved the coordinated restoration of the roof coverings, masonry, leadwork, drainage, timber structure and a number of important architectural details.
Roof + Structure
- Removal of existing roof coverings
- New Westmorland slate roofing
- Retention of selected stone slate
- New membranes and battens
- Timber boarding repairs
- Structural timber repairs
- Rafter-foot repairs and decoration
Conservation + Detailing
- Lead valleys and flashings
- Secret gutter details
- Lead sortiers
- Stone coping repairs
- Carved masonry replacement
- Terne-coated stainless steel
- Stained-glass interface repairs
05 — WESTMORLAND SLATE
Replacing deteriorated stone roofing with natural slate
The nave and aisle roof areas had historically been covered with Yorkshire stone slate dating from the nineteenth-century rebuilding of the church.
By the time of the restoration, much of this material had deteriorated beyond practical reuse. Following consideration of the available options, new Westmorland slate was selected for the principal replacement roof areas.
Selected stone slate was retained and reused to form the eaves course, preserving an important visual relationship with the earlier roof while allowing the principal slopes to benefit from a durable replacement covering.
06 — ROOF DETAILING
Resolving the difficult junctions between roof and masonry
The geometry of the church created a number of technically demanding interfaces between roof slopes, coping stones and adjoining masonry.
At the junction between retained stone eaves and new Westmorland slate, Code 4 lead soakers were introduced to provide a secure weathering detail.
Secret gutters were also formed at selected abutments to generate sufficient weathering height beneath the coping stones.
At the ends of these gutters, purpose-made lead sortiers were formed and welded to manage water safely away from the masonry.
07 — SPECIALIST LEADWORK
Leadwork throughout the church roof
Replacement leadwork included flashings, aprons, valley linings, soakers, secret gutters and bespoke welded details.
The complexity of the roof demanded careful coordination between slate, stone and lead so that each material could perform independently while forming part of one continuous weathering system.
08 — STAINLESS STEEL
Choosing materials according to risk
Selected areas around the vestry were detailed in terne-coated stainless steel rather than lead.
This provided a durable weathering material while reducing the theft risk associated with accessible leadwork on ecclesiastical buildings.
The approach allowed traditional and modern materials to be combined selectively according to location, appearance and long-term performance.
09 — MASONRY CONSERVATION
Repairing the stone surrounding the roof
Once access was available, the project extended beyond the roof coverings into the masonry fabric of the church.
Defective stonework was repaired or replaced around coping stones, window reveals, parapets and other exposed architectural features.
Selected apex stones and crosses required replacement carving in matching stone before being secured using stainless-steel fixings.
Areas of defective pointing were renewed using compatible lime mortar, maintaining permeability and avoiding unnecessarily hard cement-rich repairs.
This work demonstrates why re roofing a church frequently becomes a wider conservation exercise once the building is scaffolded and the upper fabric can be inspected properly.
10 — TIMBER REPAIRS
What opening-up revealed beneath the roof
A significant amount of timber repair could only be quantified accurately after the old roof coverings had been removed.
Defective boarding and structural timber were repaired or replaced as required, with provisional allowances within the original contract helping to manage foreseeable uncertainty.
Additional work was instructed where deterioration exceeded the assumptions made before opening-up.
Exposed rafter feet and associated timber details were also repaired and decorated as part of the wider conservation programme.
11 — ACCESS
Scaffolding a substantial church safely
The access requirements were extensive and included scaffolding to the principal elevations, boarded working lifts and access around the tower.
A secure perimeter hoarding, loading area and defined access route were incorporated to separate the construction site from church users and the surrounding village environment.
12 — SITE LOGISTICS
Managing materials across a complex roofscape
The scaffolding was designed to provide working areas for slate sorting, lead fabrication, masonry repair and the movement of materials between different roof levels.
Loading facilities allowed new materials and waste to be handled efficiently without compromising the safety of operatives or the public.
On projects of this nature, access is not simply a preliminary cost: it is an integral part of the construction methodology.
13 — ARCHITECTURAL DETAILS
Conserving more than the roof
The programme incorporated the repair and reinstatement of architectural details extending beyond the immediate roofing work.
The church clock was refurbished and redecorated, while specialist contractors were engaged where stained-glass and window repairs required dedicated conservation expertise.
14 — CONSERVATION TEAM
Specialists working around one building
A project of this scale inevitably requires skills extending beyond a single trade.
Roofers, leadworkers, joiners, scaffolders, stonemasons, stained-glass specialists and architectural professionals all contributed to the completed restoration.
The strength of the project lay in coordinating these disciplines around one agreed conservation strategy.
15 — PROJECT RECORD
Before.
During.
Completed.
The All Saints photographic archive documents the church before work, during opening-up and reconstruction, and following completion of the principal restoration phases.
The images record not only the visible finished roof but also the structure, masonry, lead details and conservation work that ultimately became concealed again.
Project imagery
Construction images show opening-up, slate work, lead detailing, timber repairs, masonry conservation and the progressive reinstatement of the church roof.
The completed archive records the finished Westmorland slate roof, leadwork and restored architectural details.
16 — FUNDING + LEGACY
Securing the church for future generations
The restoration was made possible through a combination of local support, project funding and assistance from heritage funding sources.
That investment allowed the works to address underlying defects properly rather than simply extend the life of failing details through repeated temporary repair.
The result is a church roof and upper building envelope capable of continuing to protect an important village building while retaining the material character expected of its listed status.
17 — TECHNICAL KNOWLEDGE
Standards and guidance behind the work
Roofing Regulations + Standards →
BS 5534 Slating + Tiling →
BS 6915 Leadwork →
BS 8000 Workmanship →
Heritage Roofing →
18 — INDEPENDENT CONSULTANCY
Surveying and specification for historic churches
Ecclesiastical buildings benefit from detailed condition assessment, clear repair specifications and careful professional oversight before and during construction.
Strut Building Surveyors provides independent roof surveys, building pathology, fabric assessment, repair specifications, contractor procurement and project consultancy for historic and complex buildings.
The consultancy operates independently from Neal Roofing where clients require professional advice or oversight separate from the contracting function.
The Lead Lads®
Specialist lead roofing, architectural detailing, technical guidance and rolled lead sheet.
The Reclaimed Company®
Traditional roofing materials, reclaimed stone, slate, architectural salvage and conservation materials.
Neal Roofing Knowledge Base
Technical roofing guidance covering slate, leadwork, workmanship, roof build-ups and building regulations.
19 — PROJECT OUTCOME
A complete ecclesiastical building-envelope restoration
Re roofing a church of this scale required far more than replacing the visible roof covering.
The completed project brought together Westmorland slate, retained historic stone, specialist leadwork, stainless-steel detailing, timber repairs, masonry conservation and specialist architectural restoration.
For Neal Roofing, All Saints demonstrates the capability required to deliver complex church roofing projects where workmanship, conservation, access, material compatibility and long-term weathering performance must all be considered together.
NEAL ROOFING / PROJECT ARCHIVE
Ecclesiastical heritage. Traditional materials. Complex restoration in practice.
All Saints Church forms part of the Neal Roofing archive documenting substantial heritage, ecclesiastical, residential and commercial roofing projects delivered across York and Yorkshire.
The archive records real buildings, construction details, material choices and technical challenges — preserving the practical experience accumulated through completed work.
EXPLORE THE ARCHIVE
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