A homeowner in Southampton selected the Redland Rosemary Clay Craftsman roof tile to help recreate a legendary part of British history destroyed by fire.
Burlesdon Lodge was originally built in 1920 for Mansfield Cummings, the founder of MI6 and original ’M’ spy master. The property was later bought by the Sneezum family who turned it into a family home.
The area surrounding Burlesdon Lodge is protected land, which meant that all stakeholders involved in the project had to work with conservation officers to design and reconstruct the house and remain sympathetic to the original materials.
The Chartered Building Surveyors, Ross Associates worked closely with Redland to develop a specification for the roof utilising Redland’s free-of-charge SpecMaster service. The specification covered all the tiles and components that would be needed to ensure the roof was built to current standards whilst maintaining the traditional aesthetics of the original building.
The roof tiles being replaced were a mix of clay plain tiles from a local tileworks. The replacement tiles selected as most appropriate were Rosemary Clay Craftsman tiles in Albury for the roof and Hawkhurst for the vertical. The handcrafted finish of this tile features a variable hanging length and authentic natural textures to create a heritage, weathered look while retaining all the qualities and benefits of a brand new tile.
Ian Ross, Chartered Building Surveyor, said: “When we began work on Burlesdon Lodge, the only part of the original house that was still standing was the external wall. We had to keep the original building in mind the whole way through the design process and make sure that the finished project reflected what was lost. The Craftsman was chosen because it so closely resembled the original tile. Whilst the new roof had to be built to current regulations, it was imperative that we maintained the historical characteristics of the original building.”
Speaking about the project, roofing contractor Derek Kenway, from Botley Roofing, said: “The specification drawn up by Redland helped to make everything clear, it was the first time we had utilised the SpecMaster so it was a bit of a change for us. The tiles and components were easy to work with and everyone involved was very happy with the results.”