Roofing in Acle

Acle sits on the Bure between Norwich and Yarmouth, on the edge of the marshes and with very little between it and the wind coming off them. Exposure is the thing that catches people out here, because the village feels sheltered and the roofs say otherwise.

In NR13 we fix and clip for that exposure, and we see more wind lifted verges and ridge failures than the surrounding countryside would lead you to expect.

Open marsh to the east

Look east from Acle and there is almost nothing between you and the coast but the Halvergate Marshes. The Acle Straight was built across them as a toll road and opened in 1831, and it still runs dead flat and open to Yarmouth. Wind coming over that ground has nothing to slow it down, and the roofs on the eastern side of the village take it first.

That shows up in particular places. Verges lift where the mortar has let go and the end tiles were never mechanically fixed. Ridges crack and drop their bedding. Lightweight or poorly fixed flat roofs on extensions peel back at the edge. Most of this is fixable without a new roof if it is caught early.

On survey we look at how the verges, ridges and hips are held on, not just whether they look straight from the road. Mortar bedded ridges can be rebedded or swapped for a dry fixed system, verges can be clipped or fitted with dry verge, and flat roof edges can be dressed and trimmed so the wind cannot get under them. We photograph what we find so you can see the reason for each item on the quote.

Old and new in the village

Acle was granted a market charter in 1253 and has the only bridge over the Bure between Wroxham and Great Yarmouth. Its best known roof is on St Edmund's, the Grade I listed church with a round tower, a thatched nave and a slated chancel. We do not do thatch, but it is a useful reminder that the older buildings here are flint and brick with a range of coverings, while most of the housing around them is later and tiled.

Acle is not one of Broadland's designated conservation areas, although nearby Halvergate and Tunstall is. Listed buildings still need consent for most changes, and we check before we price.

Where to go next

For lifted verges and slipped tiles see roof repairs, and for ridges losing their bedding see ridge, valley and gable repointing. Our note on why mortar falls out of ridge tiles explains the usual cause, and after a gale what to photograph after storm damage helps with a claim.