Windows that look out over the valley
One of the pleasures of building on a hillside is the view, and a roof window can bring it indoors. On the downhill slope, the glass looks across the river valley to the opposite hillside. Because the next row stands lower, nobody can look in from below. The sash opens at the base for an airing and swings wide for cleaning, and the vent bar passes a thin stream of air through the night.
On a steep street it also pays to check the angle of the roof. Terraces on a slope are often pitched steeply, and a window in a steep roof sits more upright than one in a shallow roof. That suits an attic bedroom, because you can look out of it from the bed.
A town of listed stone and conservation rules
The historic heart of Bradford on Avon is a designated conservation area, thick with listed buildings such as the Saxon church of St Laurence and the medieval Tithe Barn. Wiltshire Council is the planning authority. For a listed building, a rooflight needs listed building consent; in the conservation area it is wise to ask the council before ordering, particularly for any slope that can be seen from a street or from the opposite hill. Our planning permission guide covers what to put to the council.
The council tends to look kindly on rooflights that sit flush, are small and are placed on slopes away from public view, and a conservation rooflight is built for exactly this job. Its slim frame, central bar and low profile stand close to the old cast-iron lights that used to light stairs and sheds. It can still open: a hinged sash with a rod or handle lets the attic breathe while the roof keeps its character.
A hillside setting adds a practical point. Access to a terraced roof can be awkward, because the street may be narrow and the gardens steep, so we plan how materials reach the roof before the day begins. The glass is carried up, the old covering is stacked, and the opening is closed in with a temporary weatherproof cover at the end of each day. In a street of tight cottages, that keeps neighbours content too.
The stone roofs themselves ask for care. Stone tiles weigh a lot, and the timbers carrying them are ancient. When we survey, we look from the loft side to see how the rafters are spaced and what they carry, then advise on a unit that fits between them. Often a slightly smaller window is the better choice, because it needs less timber to be cut. Cutting a new opening is building work, so trimming and finishing must be done properly.
If a house has an older rooflight already, the question is whether it still serves. A frame that has swollen, a pane that has misted between the layers or a handle that no longer holds all point towards a replacement. Taking out and refitting an entire unit is notifiable work, and Building Control hears from us; a sealed glass panel alone in a good frame generally is not notifiable. The misted and failed rooflights hub helps you judge which case you have.
