The oldest ribbon
The oldest part is a ribbon of development along the A325, with the oldest buildings dating from the 15th century.
Roofers in Wrecclesham
A ribbon village from 15th-century cottages to converted bungalows
Wrecclesham stretches along the A325 above the Wey valley, from 15th-century buildings to 20th-century streets and conversions. We examine each roof slope by slope before pricing it once.
Wrecclesham's roofs, from pottery materials to infill
Harris pottery products
The Harris family built the pottery in the 1850s, and its materials show on houses.
Bungalows made houses
Recent years brought new streets, infilling and bungalows converted to houses, says the design statement.
Map of Wrecclesham with Rowledge, Farnham, Frensham, Hale marked around it.
Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors. Loads only when you ask for it.
Wrecclesham, south-west of Farnham above the Wey
Rowledge lies to the south, Farnham to the north-east, Frensham to the south, Hale and Weybourne to the north-east, Bentley to the west, and Crondall to the north-west.
About 11.5 road miles south of Farnborough · Waverley Borough Council and Surrey County Council.
Wrecclesham: the jobs we take on
Wrecclesham, ribbon, pottery and infill
Wrecclesham's roofs in the Farnham design statement
Which councils regulate a Wrecclesham roof, what the draft Farnham Design Statement says about the ribbon, the pottery and the infill, and what the conservation area, a 1971 direction and listings mean for repairs.
| No. | Chapter | The figure it turns on |
|---|---|---|
| 01 | Waverley's inspectors and Surrey's licence | Waverley plans and inspects; Surrey licenses |
| 02 | A ribbon road and the Harris pottery | Pottery built 1850s by the Harris family |
| 03 | A 1973 conservation area and a 1971 direction | Conservation area designated October 1973 |
Chapter 01 of 03
Waverley's inspectors and Surrey's licence
| Role | Body for Wrecclesham addresses |
|---|---|
| Planning authority | Waverley Borough Council |
| County council and highway authority | Surrey County Council (until 31 March 2027) |
| Building control | Waverley Building Control, the council's own service |
| Scaffold licence on the highway | Surrey County Council, 28 day periods |
Counted from the A325 Farnborough Road, Wrecclesham is 11.5 road miles south of Farnborough. The A325 is also the road that forms its oldest ribbon, running towards Petersfield, so a scaffold in the village is nearly always on a busy road. Waverley Borough Council decides planning and provides building control, including plans checking and on-site inspection visits, while Surrey County Council licenses the highway up to the end of March 2027.
Bungalows made into houses
The Farnham design statement notes considerable infilling and the conversion of bungalows to houses. A bungalow made a house is a larger job than a roof repair, and it can involve more than one contractor: one for the structure, one for the roof, perhaps another for the wiring. The 2015 construction design and management rules mean a domestic project employing several contractors needs a named principal designer and principal contractor, and one contractor alone must still write a construction phase plan. The survey records how many trades are involved and says which duties follow, so the roof contractor knows where the roof sits in the wider project.
The figure50%roof ceiling: raising a bungalow roof passes half, so inspection follows25% envelope ceiling50% roof ceilingSource: Planning Portal, re-roofing guidance
For the roof itself, the Planning Portal's two ceilings, 25 per cent of the building envelope and 50 per cent of the roof, mark the starting line, and raising a bungalow roof for upper rooms goes well beyond them. Waverley or a registered approver then inspects the work. Our roof window and skylight page explains how openings in the new roof are checked.
Weight is a second gate: a rise of 15 per cent or more in the roof's load calls for approval and a structural check besides, which is where a conversion that adds a heavier covering to an old frame is caught.
Citizens Advice says the cooling-off right for off-premises contracts covers a service costing £42 or more when a trader has sought you out at home, and that the period starts from the day following the contract. A conversion contract signed at home is the sort of agreement it covers, and the cooling-off is yours to use.
Scaffold on the A325
Scaffold standing on the A325 frontage needs Surrey County Council's licence, bought in 28 day periods at £208 each, with the form due at least 10 working days beforehand. The council's wording omits the applicant, a point raised with the scaffolder and relayed to you. On a main road the plan also covers pedestrian routes, deliveries and the timing of any lane restriction. Scaffold wholly inside your boundary is not licensed.
Chapter 02 of 03
A ribbon road and the Harris pottery
Wrecclesham in dates and figures
- 15th centuryage of the oldest buildings
- 1850sthe Harris family builds the pottery
- 7,316residents, ONS Census 2021, Wrecclesham built-up area
- 22listed buildings within 500 m of the village point
The draft Farnham Design Statement says the oldest part of Wrecclesham is a ribbon of development along the A325 towards Petersfield, that its oldest buildings date from the 15th century, and that the vast majority, especially away from the original ribbon, date from the 20th century. The 2021 Census recorded 7,316 usual residents across the built-up area.
Materials from the pottery
The statement adds that the pottery at the western end of the village was built in the 1850s by the Harris family, and that building materials made there can be seen on several houses around the village. A repair to such a house works with a material made in the village itself, and a match for an old pottery tile or brick may come from reclaimed stock. The survey records the colour, the size and the maker's marks where visible, and the report names the match proposed.
A 15th-century building has timbers that have moved for centuries, and the covering on it now may not be its first. Wall plate, eaves and ridge are examined for movement, and each is photographed. Where a 15th-century frame has grown by additions, a sketch of the roof is drawn and every part numbered, and the report states which parts were found sound.
New streets and infill
Recent years, the statement says, brought new streets on green and brownfield sites, considerable infilling and the conversion of bungalows to houses. A house of recent years brings other concerns than a cottage does: what holds the ridge and verge, how junctions are sealed, how gutters are supported. If it is a recent new-build, ask whether an NHBC Buildmark policy still applies: two years of builder warranty, then eight years of insurance, and its terms settle who puts a roof fault right. Marley points out that after the 2014 revision of BS 5534, mortar's tensile strength could no longer be relied on alone at the ridge and hips, so older ridges are checked for their fixings.
Gutters carry a lot on a hillside village. MyJobQuote gives around £1,000 to £1,600 for replacing guttering (20 October 2026), a national guide and no price of ours. Gutters that droop between their brackets hold water, so every run is checked for fall. Our gutters, soffits and fascias page explains how a run is judged.
Chapter 03 of 03
A 1973 conservation area and a 1971 direction
| Designation | In Wrecclesham | For roof work |
|---|---|---|
| Conservation area | Wrecclesham, designated 1973, extended 2002 (Waverley) | Ask Waverley before changing a roof's look |
| Article 4 direction (1971) | West Cottage, 2 School Hill | Named on Waverley's list; check by address |
| Grade II listed church in use | Church of St Peter (NHLE 1044703) | Church of England faculty, not listed building consent |
| Grade II listed | 1 and 2 Weaver's Cottages (NHLE 1079629) | Listed building consent for work affecting character |
| Grade II listed | Albion Cottages (NHLE 1242671) | Listed building consent for work affecting character |
Waverley's own conservation area page gives the Wrecclesham conservation area as designated in 1973 and extended in 2002. Waverley says it has 44 conservation areas, listed by parish, and its list of Article 4 directions includes one for West Cottage, 2 School Hill, Wrecclesham, dated 1971. The rights it withdraws are for Waverley to state, so for a house near School Hill the first step is to ask the council whether that direction, or any other, reaches it.
Listings along the ribbon
The list holds 22 entries close to the village centre, among them the Church of St Peter, listed Grade II on 29 December 1972 (NHLE 1044703), 1 and 2 Weaver's Cottages (NHLE 1079629), 70 the Street (NHLE 1259917) and Albion Cottages (NHLE 1242671), all Grade II. Work that alters a listed cottage's character needs listed building consent, so Waverley is shown the proposed repair first, with matched tiles and sound ones reused.
As an Anglican church in use, St Peter's falls under the ecclesiastical exemption, so the faculty system governs its roof work instead.
Upkeep inside the conservation area
Living in a conservation area does not rule out maintenance. Matching the old covering and ridge preserves the look, whereas a different material means asking the council before any price is given. The ribbon road also means many houses stand close to the pavement, so the front slope is highly visible; it is photographed first, with the ridge and the stack, so any later comparison starts from a record, and the old tiles' colour is noted at the same time.
Where the council has to be asked, the address, pictures and measurements go to Waverley, and the booking is held until it replies. Each check is dated in your report, which tells you the consent route before work is booked, and the price is then set once. Anything sent to the council is filed with your report for you to read.
The conservation area map can put one house within a boundary and the next outside it, which is why each address is looked up on the map rather than guessed from the houses around it. Where Waverley has to be asked, the booking waits for its reply.
Wrecclesham roof questions, from pottery tiles to bungalow conversions
Can a material from the old Harris pottery on a Wrecclesham house be matched?
A close match can often be found. We record the colour, size and any maker's mark, then look at reclaimed stock and specially made tiles. The report names the match we propose, with photographs of the originals, so you can compare before agreeing. A match is only proposed when it will sit properly in the existing covering.
Does converting my Wrecclesham bungalow to a house change the roof rules?
Raising the roof goes beyond the Planning Portal's 25 and 50 per cent ceilings, so Waverley's building control or a registered approver inspects. If several contractors share the job, the 2015 CDM Regulations also require a named principal designer plus principal contractor. The survey states which duties apply to your project.
Does the 1971 Article 4 direction at School Hill affect my Wrecclesham roof?
Only if it reaches your address, which depends on where you live. Waverley's list names West Cottage, 2 School Hill, and the council alone can say which rights it removes. Ahead of any price we put to Waverley the question of whether that direction, or another, touches your house, and the reply is recorded in your report.
Who files the Surrey scaffold licence on the A325 at Wrecclesham?
Surrey County Council's page omits whoever files the form, which makes it a query for the scaffolder, with the reply relayed to you. The fee is £208 per 28 days, and ten working days' notice is wanted before the start. Scaffold standing wholly within your own plot is outside the licence, and our plan names the access chosen.
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