Anyone who has experienced the noise, anxiety and expense of fixing a roof will feel a pang of sympathy for the Property Committee at St Mary’s Catholic Cathedral. The B-listed building’s Sacristy and Chancel (South Aisle) require major work to stop rain entering and causing further damage and collapsed ceilings below.
This programme of restoration and replacement is now the subject of applications for planning permission and listed building consent submitted to the Council at the end of last month.
If you are upset by the gloomy prognostications of roofers, what follows is the stuff of nightmares. Look away now.
The Adams Napier Partnership (chartered surveyors and heritage consultants) has undertaken detailed inspections of the structure since 2023 and recommends a scope of urgent works. In plain English:
Complete re-slating of the Sacristy’s pitched roof above a new breather membrane. Replacement of ridges and all leadwork, including perimeter gutters.
Complete overhaul of octagonal rooflights’ glazing, leadwork, timber frames and astragals.
Removal of vegetation from rooftop walls and repointing with breathable lime mortar.
Installation of a new damp-proof course underneath walkway paving slabs.
Replacement soon of the Chancel SA’s flat lead roof in accordance with current Lead Contractors Association guidelines.
Replacement of lead gutters and flashings.
Ongoing, regular inspection and maintenance.
You can terrify yourself with all the gruesome details by: 1) accessing the Edinburgh Planning Portal; 2) Searching for the reference number 24/04740/LBC; then looking within Documents for the Combined Project Drawings and Roof Repair Report.*
In assessing the job, ANP realised that the existing slates are too short to prevent rainwater blowing up between them on the shallow 20º rake of the Sacristy roof (40º slopes are more common in Scotland). In the absence of locally available slates, they recommend using longer Spanish ones which are blue-black and slightly darker.
ANP acknowledges that necessary changes to the size and pattern of the slates may have a negative impact on the appearance and character of the building.
Spurtle understands a tendering process for the project is underway.
In addition to the Property Committee’s efforts to secure grant funding for the work, parishioners are running a Raise the Roof campaign of concerts and other special events.
