Kington Market Hall Roof Gets Go Ahead for Replacement

The decision to approve up to £216,000 for a full roof replacement and external refurbishment works at Grade II listed Kington Market Hall was taken by Herefordshire Council this month.

Following a successful tender on the Council’s procurement portal, the contract was awarded to Shropshire firm, Reynolds Conservation Ltd.

The funding includes £185,431 for the new roof, up to £4,000 for internal and external professional fees and a contingency budget of up to £25,000 for any unforeseen costs.

Kington Market Hall is a local landmark at the heart of the town which was once England’s centre of glove making.

In current times, Kington Market Hall still regularly becomes a focal point during festivals and events due to its scale and prominence. The brick-built market hall features a clock tower with louvered openings and a balustrade with finials. The building was constructed to commemorate Queen Victoria’s Jubilee in 1887.

Its neighbouring coach house pre dates the market and once formed the focal point of the market square.

Full Roof Replacement

The Market Hall roof has been failing for several years with water ingress and decayed timber purlins. Constructed with Welsh Slate with hipped formation and a clay ridge, the new roof will aim to reclaim and reuse up to 50% of the slates and will be installed with new F1 underlay and battens, as well as replacement of pvc guttering with cast iron more in keeping with the heritage building.

Other work will be to the coach house, where metal work and guttering will repainted and glazing refurbished and reinstalled. The roof timbers of the Coach house are also expected to need replacing.

The work which be funded from the Capital Building Improvement Programme will start this autumn and is expected to be completed in spring 2027.

Hereford Council officers said if the work was not carried out it would mean the council was “at risk of incurring further maintenance requirements, potentially costing the council further money”.

Welcoming the decision, Kington town Mayor Martin Woolford said: “We have been waiting for almost three years to see the repairs and reroofing undertaken.

“The Market Hall is a major landmark in our town and it will be great to see it restored and the roof made safe and the protective hoarding removed to again show the building in all its glory.”

>> Read more about re-roofing in the news