Location: Taverham Hall, Taverham Norwich, NR8 6HU
Project: Langley Prep School
Client: Langley Prep School
Architect: Roofing FA Valiant & Son Ltd
Type: School
Category: Refurbishment
Element: Roof
Product: SSQ Riverstone Ultra Grey roofing slate 400mm x200mm Supplier SSQ direct
Scope: c.30,000pcs

Langley Prep School is located at Taverham Hall in the village of Taverham not far from Norwich in the Norfolk countryside.

Completed in 1858, the hall was originally planned as the home for the family of Rev'd John Nathaniel Micklethwait. In 1921, the hall was sold and became a boy’s preparatory school.

It was briefly requisitioned during the Second World War before returning to its use as an educational establishment.

Set amongst 100 acres of green open space, Taverham Hall is a breathtaking neo-Jacobian building with stunning period architecture to match its idyllic setting.

The large chimney stacks and red brick frontage create an attractive aesthetic with the subtle grey roofing slates accentuating the property’s distinctive beauty. Some of the hall’s roofing had begun to deteriorate and main contractors F.A. Valiant & Son Ltd were contracted to replace the roof tiles.

Originally, the client had specified Delabole slates for the project but unfortunately, availability was limited, and lead times were too long for the project requirements.

As specialist heritage building restoration specialists, F.A. Valiant & Son Ltd were tasked with procuring a high-quality alternative to the requested Delabole slates.

After contacting SSQ, both the main contractors and clients were amazed at the high-quality appearance of Riverstone from SSQ and delighted by their capacity to offer an extremely quick turnaround on their large order.

For the restoration project 30,000 tiles of 400x200mm slates were used for the majority of areas re-roofed under the scheme.
The work was carried out in accordance with all the client specifications and to comply with British Standards regulations BS5534:2014. Access to the site was via a long drive through the wooded estate. This, in itself, caused no problems.

As the location was a ‘live’ site, however, with the need to limit disruption and adhere to site health and safety legislation, some pre-planning was required to limit disruption regarding school drop off and pick up times.

The project was a complete success and following the decision to change the Delabole slate to Riverstone, SSQ were instrumental in ensuring that the product arrived on time and that all installation schedules were met.