REFURB CASE STUDIES Christ Church Chalford [Highly Commended - 2002 CRTC Clay Roofing Awards - Best Refurbishment Clay Roof – Commercial Category] Clay Tiles Used: A combination of plain and ornamental tiles from Marley-Eternit's Hawkins range

For more than a century, the Victorian church of Christ Church had been a prominent landmark for travellers on the main London road as the route passes through the village of Chalford in Gloucestershire.

The imposing roof structure was of traditional construction and featured hand-made clay tiles on the roof. Like many ecclesiastical buildings, time and the elements took their toll on the structure, especially the roof, which became a problem for the church authorities.

Following a survey of the roof and substructure, architect Peter Gilbert-Scott specified a complete re-roof as some of the original Victorian hand-made tiles were in need of replacement.

One of the main challenges facing the project was that the actual condition of the roof – especially the spire – could not be fully determined through inspection before the replacement programme started and the scaffolding was in place. The church authorities also imposed some restraints on the replacement materials that could be used – essentially the tiles selected had to match as closely as possible the original Victorian tiles.

A combination of plain and ornamental tiles from Marley-Eternit's’ Hawkins range were specified. These tiles are guaranteed for durability for 100 years. A good range of tile colour samples were supplied to match the very specific requirements outlined by the church authorities, which enabled architect Peter Gilbert-Scott to find the closest match to the existing tiles.

The complex element of the refurbishment was the replacement of the tiles on the spire. The timber substructure required some remedial treatment, especially the apex which had suffered from water damage, and there were some technical problems with fixing locations for the new tiles. Additionally, the spire was a reversed hip construction and in this case most of the original Victorian hip tiles were retained and reused in the final roof. The complex work on the spire was the main feature which singled out this project as being worthy of a commendation.

The final specification featured a total of 36,000 tiles from the Hawkins range – 18,000 Red Blend clay tiles and 18,000 Heather-Mixture brindle Hexagon ornamental tiles.

The colour and finish were an excellent match for the original tiles and blended well with the original hip tiles. The plain and ornamental tiles were fixed in bands to help diffuse the broad expanse of the roof and to create a definitive design feature.

The completed project restored the picturesque nineteenth century church to its original design. The two-tile form colours used in the project enhanced the building’s aesthetic appeal and the complexity of the pattern tiling was successfully replicated to re-create Christ Church’s original design.