Roofing in Great Bookham is shaped by two things: a stock of older cottages and houses that often carry hand-made clay tiles or natural slate, and the village's position close to the Surrey Hills Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB) boundary. In practice this means roof repairs and re-coverings here lean towards careful material matching and, for some properties, additional planning sensitivity rather than the simplest like-for-like swap.
Which roof types dominate the older parts of Bookham?
The older lanes around Lower Road, Church Road and the High Street include cottages and houses roofed in hand-made clay plain tiles — small, slightly irregular tiles laid in deep, overlapping courses. These give the characteristic textured, slightly uneven surface that distinguishes a period roof from a modern machine-made one.
Natural slate appears on a number of Victorian and Edwardian properties, often Welsh slate in graded sizes. Later twentieth-century housing in the surrounding estates tends towards concrete interlocking tiles, which behave very differently and are not interchangeable with the older materials.
Steep pitches, swept valleys and clay ridge tiles are common features on the period stock, and they influence both the repair method and the labour involved.
How does proximity to the Surrey Hills AONB shape what's acceptable?
These give the characteristic textured, slightly uneven surface that distinguishes a period roof from a modern machine-made one.
Parts of Bookham sit close to the AONB edge, where the landscape and its visual character carry statutory protection. The designation does not stop roof work, but it raises the bar on appearance — roofs visible from protected countryside are expected to use materials and colours that sit comfortably in the setting.
For most routine repairs on an unlisted house no special consent is needed. Larger changes, extensions or anything altering the roofline may attract closer scrutiny from Mole Valley District Council, particularly where the property is prominent in views. Reflective or strongly coloured modern coverings are the kind of choice likely to draw objection near the boundary.
Anyone planning significant work near the AONB edge should confirm the planning position with the council before committing to materials.
Working on listed and period cottage roofs
Bookham has a number of listed buildings, and a roof forms part of what is protected. Listed building consent is generally required for works that affect the character of a listed roof — including changing the covering material, altering the pitch, or adding rooflights. Like-for-like repair using matching materials may not need consent, but the safest course is to ask the conservation officer rather than assume.
On listed and older cottages, the detail matters as much as the tile. Lime mortar bedding, traditional ridge fixing and reuse of sound original tiles are often expected in preference to modern cement and bright new replacements. A roofer used to period work will usually:
- salvage and re-lay sound original tiles where possible;
- match replacement tiles by size, colour and surface texture, not just type;
- use breathable underlays suited to older, often less ventilated roof spaces;
- retain or copy distinctive features such as swept valleys and decorative ridges.
What to check before re-covering an old hand-made tile roof
Before stripping a roof, it is worth establishing the condition of the structure beneath. Old softwood battens, slipped tiles and decayed valley boards are common on roofs that have not been touched in decades, and these affect both cost and timescale.
Sourcing matching tiles is the other early task. Hand-made clay tiles vary by maker and age, and a close visual match — including the right size and weathered tone — often means blending salvaged tiles with new. A roofer should be asked how they intend to match colour and how reclaimed material will be used.
Useful points to confirm in advance include the planning and listed-building position, whether the existing tiles can be reused, how the ridge and valleys will be finished, and how the work sits with the property's setting near the AONB.
Reviewed: June 2026