Historic Tudor Manor House Roof Repairs Near Completion

Image: Restoration Projects Ltd

Repairs to the roof at Bramall Hall, a historic Tudor manor house located in Stockport, Greater Manchester, are expected to be completed this summer.

The repairs are part of ‘Under our Roof’, a £1.6 million project funded by the Arts Council England’s Museums Estates Development Fund, which will see Restoration Projects Ltd restore the Grade I listed structure’s failing roof and rainwater management system.

Roof Repairs

In a recent tour of the repairs, Site Manager Luke Barlow and representatives from Bramall Hall explained what has been done so far.

The original stone slates have been carefully removed and put to one side, ready to be re-instated. Where absolutely necessary, slates which cannot be reused will be replaced with like-for-like Carboniferous sandstone slate.

With the roof timbers now exposed, workers are able to install a new layer of wood fibre insulation under the cover of a massive temporary awning, followed by the TLX Bat Safe membrane to ensure the manor house remains ‘a safe and welcoming home’ for its long-standing colonies of Pipistrelle and Brown long-eared bats.

A new counter-batten framework will then be added, and the slates laid in traditional fashion: starting with the largest slates at the bottom and gradually decreasing in size as the heritage roofers work their way up.

Maintaining Authenticity

The team has sourced reclaimed stone, lead, and timber to ensure the new roof is blending seamlessly with the existing structure, maintaining the hall’s Tudor-era authenticity.

Brick chimneys and cast iron and lead downpipes are also being restored using traditional methods to preserve the hall’s architectural character.

Luke Barlow, who leads the Under Our Roof project lead, said: “We try to do it using the traditional materials but every corner you turn there seems to be a new challenge because nothing is straight and there are quirky details everywhere.

“I don’t know how they managed to do this 500 years ago with no machinery or lifting equipment, so to be able to do this is pretty special.”

The oldest parts of Bramall Hall date from the 1380s, during the reign of King Richard II. Much of the building’s current roof dates back to Victorian times, when it was constructed as part of an extensive redesign initiated by the hall’s owner Charles Nevill in the late 19th century.

Cllr Dan Oliver, Cabinet Member for Communities, Culture and Public Protection at Stockport Council, commented: “Bramhall Hall is nearly 800 years old, it’s gone through Tudor times, it’s outlasted the likes of Henry VIII, William Shakespeare, Queen Victoria, all those times this space has lived through.

“The fact we’re able to do this now with Arts council funding and funding from the council, it’s just our commitment to our wider cultural sector across Stockport and gives that opportunity for younger generations to celebrate this for years to come.”

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