Martin-Brooks honoured for heritage skills

Sheffield based roofing specialists, Martin-Brooks, has received national industry recognition for the quality of its work in the heritage sector.

Martin-Brooks is shortlisted for this year’s National Federation of Roofing Contractors’ (NFRC) heritage award for the complete re-roof of a grade II listed church in Derbyshire.

The firm is one of just four candidates from across the UK in the running for the heritage title, after being commended for its work on Saint Barnabas Church in Bradwell. The winner will be announced at the NFRC’s eighth Annual Congress Awards, held in London on May 17.

Martin-Brooks removed all of the Westmorland slates from the nave roof at Saint Barnabas, before redressing and reusing them on the chancel and vestry. The nave was then recovered in new green Westmorland slate sourced from the Lake District.

In keeping with its 1872 construction, the slates forming Saint Barnabas’ new roof were nailed to battens and secured with lime mortar by Martin-Brooks’ heritage craftsmen. To maintain its authenticity, no under felt was used, which meant considerable care had to be taken to ensure the church remained watertight whilst work was taking place.  

Nick Brooks, a director at Martin-Brooks, said: “As the NFRC has more than 3,000 members, it is an achievement in itself to reach the final four in the heritage category. We look after a wide range of prestigious historic buildings, so being nominated for our efforts at St Barnabas, a local village church, demonstrates the outstanding level of workmanship that goes into each and every project.”

The roof repairs at Saint Barnabas were carried out as part of an English Heritage grant and were co-ordinated by Bakewell architects, Smith and Roper, with whom Martin-Brooks has worked on numerous heritage projects.

Dale Wright, Martin-Brooks’ contracts director, said: “Despite atrocious working conditions, our craftsmen have demonstrated that an excellent finish can still be achieved using skills and techniques developed hundreds of years ago. The new roof at Saint Barnabas looks fabulous and the Westmorland slate really complements the dramatic landscape that surrounds the village of Bradwell.”

Martin-Brooks is no stranger to the NFRC awards, having been nominated in the heritage category in 2010 and 2011. Last year, the firm won the flat roofing Safety in Roofing Award and has achieved the gold standard for its health and safety performance for the last five years.

For further information about Martin-Brooks’ heritage work, telephone (0114) 244 7720 or visit www.martin-brooks.co.uk