Areas we cover · Chalfont St Giles
Roofers in Chalfont St Giles
Chalfont St Giles is a village of old cottages around a green beside the River Misbourne, home to Milton's Cottage. We look after its timber-framed and tiled roofs and the larger family homes around the village.
- About 17 miles from Aylesbury
- Postcodes HP8
Quick answer
Do you cover Chalfont St Giles?
Yes. Chalfont St Giles is about seventeen miles from Aylesbury and we cover the conservation area at the heart of the village and the newer roads around it in HP8, along with Chalfont St Peter, Little Chalfont, Jordans and Seer Green.
- County
- Buckinghamshire
- Planning authority
- Buckinghamshire Council
- Postcodes
- HP8
- From Aylesbury
- About 17 miles
A conservation village with a Grade I cottage
The heart of Chalfont St Giles has been a conservation area since 1969 and holds 33 listed buildings. The best known is Milton's Cottage, where the poet John Milton lived in 1665: a timber-framed house with red brick infill under an old tile roof, listed Grade I. The parish church of St Giles is listed Grade I too.
Around the old village are larger 20th-century houses and post-war homes, with tiled roofs, dormers, bays and flat roofed extensions. Each needs a different approach, from careful like-for-like repairs on a listed cottage to a full reroof on a family home.
Timber-framed cottages move over the years, so their roofs rarely sit perfectly straight. Retiling one well means working with that shape rather than forcing it flat, keeping the old tiles that are still sound and blending in matching ones so the roof still looks like it belongs to the village.
What we're asked to do in Chalfont St Giles
- Like-for-like clay tile repairs on cottages in the conservation area.
- Lead flashings and chimney leadwork on old brick stacks.
- Lead valleys on larger houses with complicated roofs.
- Reroofing family homes whose original tiles have reached the end of their life.
- Flat roofs on extensions and garages.
Listed buildings and the conservation area
With 33 listed buildings in its conservation area, Chalfont St Giles is a village where it pays to check before roof work starts. Buckinghamshire Council handles consent. A repair in matching clay tile, slate or lead is normally fine without it. A change of material on a listed cottage needs listed building consent and a visible alteration elsewhere in the conservation area may need planning permission. We'll advise before work starts.
Leadwork in Chalfont St Giles
Old tile, soakers and listed cottages
Milton's Cottage is timber framed with red brick infill under an old tile roof and many of the older cottages in the conservation area share that make up. Under their clay tiles is lead most owners never see: soakers at every abutment, one to each course, covered by a stepped flashing.
On old cottages those soakers are sometimes replaced with a cement fillet, a shortcut that cracks as the building moves and lets water straight in. Putting back lead soakers and flashings returns the roof to its proper detail in traditional materials.
The larger 20th-century houses around the old village tend to have more complicated roofs, with valleys, dormers and hips. There the leadwork is bigger in scale but the principle is the same: lead dressed to fit, fixed to allow for movement and lapped so water always runs over a joint, never into it.
Google reviews
What our customers say
The whole experience with Damien was 5*
Such a great guy who has an amazing team with genuine passion for what they do. The results of our full re-roof and lead work speak for themselves with a constant stream of neighbours in the street acknowledging the quality of workmanship whilst they were here.
Damien’s communication was so appreciated - from the minute we met, talking us through what was needed doing, explaining our options clearly - quoting us fairly, then keeping us updated on plans, juggling really difficult weather conditions without any stress and sending great photo updates throughout the process.
Couldn’t have wished for a better experience.
Thanks Damien, Martin, Sam and the whole team for everything. Absolute legends.
Damien's work on the entire job, from start to finish, was absolutely excellent. The communication was excellent, the team was great, they arrived exactly on time and completed some quality work. I will definitely be recommending Mionlach to anyone needing roofing work.
Straight answers
Roofing in Chalfont St Giles: common questions
Anything else, call Damien on 07803 473995 or send us a photo on WhatsApp.
Can you replace a cement fillet with lead soakers?
Yes. Cement fillets crack as a building moves. We take them off, fit lead soakers under the tiles at each course and a stepped lead flashing over them, which is the traditional detail on a clay tile roof.
Do you work on listed cottages?
Yes. We repair clay tile, slate and lead on listed buildings like for like and provide the specifications and photographs a conservation officer needs to see.
Do I need permission for roof work in Chalfont St Giles?
A like-for-like repair usually doesn't. Buckinghamshire Council handles consent for the 33 listed buildings in the conservation area and for visible changes to other properties there.
Do you cover the villages near Chalfont St Giles?
Yes, including Chalfont St Peter, Little Chalfont, Jordans and Seer Green.
Nearby
Nearby areas
We also cover Chalfont St Peter, Little Chalfont, Jordans and Seer Green.