Work Begins to Repair Leaking Roof of Landmark Medieval Church

Work has begun to fix the leaking roof of a Medieval church in West Sussex.

A structural survey revealed ‘vital’ repairs were needed to the Grade II* listed All Saints Church in Lindfield. Originally built in the 1400s, the timber framed building, known locally as ‘The Tiger’, is one of the village’s oldest buildings.

The church building currently houses offices and community groups, from the Ukrainian Friendship Group to the Tiger Cubs village nursery.

The £300,000 roofing project is being carried out by heritage specialist Pilbeam Construction and will take around five months to complete.

Medieval Roof Repairs

Work will include repairing junctions and rebuilding features which will reduce the risk of future problems. Pilbeam will build a temporary roof before taking up existing clay tiles and battens, setting aside any salvageable tiles for reuse.

The building is made from Horsham stone, a type of sandstone local to Sussex. Heritage specialists will strip the existing Horsham stone, shadow slates and battens, and set these aside for reuse, before removing redundant flues and repoint chimneys.

The project will be carried out under a bat licence and an ecologist will be on site throughout the roof stripping process after bats were discovered in the roof space.

New battens and felt will be introduced, together with new lead valleys and flashings, barge boards, cast iron guttering and downpipes, as well as installing insulation over the kitchen.

The Horsham Stone will then be re-bedded on a lime-rich hot mix and the clay tiles reinstated.

Making a Difference

Alan Corbett, Managing Director of Pilbeam Construction, said: “It’s a real privilege to work on this landmark building again. As a local Sussex contractor our team love making a difference to their local community.

“Our roofers have hands-on experience working with Horsham stone, while our carpenters have a deep understanding of how complex historic cut and pitch roofs are constructed. This work will protect this important community asset for years to come.

“Horsham Stone is not readily available due to the closure of the historic quarries so we will need to reuse what we can and source more.”

Other partners in the scheme include Quantity Surveyor Phil King from MBM Consulting Ltd, structural engineers The Moreton Partnership, Bosence Associates and Sally-Ann Hurry of Mountfield Ecology.

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