Complete Roofing Systems was delighted to be chosen to complete the work on St Werburgh’s Mount, a historic building located in the heart of Chester city centre. As the property was constructed in 1874 and is Grade II listed, we adhered closely to the project’s planning agreement which emphasised the importance of preserving the historic appearance of the building.

St Werburgh’s Mount was no ordinary roofing project. We worked on several roof elevations (including three hipped roofs), with pediments, valleys and chimney stacks, as well as ornate details such as finial ridges. These elements required our highly skilled workmanship and meticulous care to ensure the details are not only correctly installed and watertight, but also visually appealing, maintaining the buildings’ Victorian heritage.

We began by carefully stripping and sorting the existing tiles, with approximately 70% deemed reusable. We then procured Sandtoft tiles for the remaining 30% and strategically installed them on less visible roof elevations, preserving the original appearance on the outwardly facing elevations. Damaged finial clay ridges were either repaired or closely matching ridges were sourced from a reclamation yard.

Our in-house leadwork specialist welded various leadwork elements on site, including the saddles, back gutters, and bespoke details around the chimney stacks and roof valleys.

We then turned our attention to the condensation issues in the apartments on the top floor, which led to a Proctor Roofshield breather membrane being selected due to its superior breathability qualities. We chose Code 5 and 6 lead to harmonise with the surrounding buildings, complying with Lead Contractors Association (LCA) approval and coding specifications. We also used lime mortar for its breathability, which is especially crucial for the solid walls prone to dampness. The Velux windows were chosen for their size and aesthetic similarity to the existing skylight window.

Due to its central location, St Werburgh’s Mount presented various access challenges. Heavy pedestrian activity meant that we needed to maintain thoroughfare access for both pedestrians and vehicles. Limited laydown space prompted careful material planning, coordination with local merchants and the requirement for off-site storage.

The shops remained open throughout the works, which also presented a challenge. To minimise disruption to both the retailers and their customers, we put procedures in place including phased scaffolding, DPM sheet layers and off-peak deliveries, whilst maintaining regular communication with the retailers.

Our client expressed satisfaction with the quality of work, adherence to timelines, health and safety standards and communication. The retailers were also enthusiastic about the result, commenting on the improvement of the buildings aesthetic.

With St Werburgh’s Mount’s historical significance demanding skilled workmanship and meticulous attention to detail, this was a particularly satisfying project which allowed us to be part of preserving the buildings heritage.

We can install roof slating on new build, heritage or industrial buildings – find out more.