Traditional Roofs Repair and Conservation: facing the challenge in the 21st century. That’s the title of a conference being held by Historic England in Westminster, London, on 3 March. Deadline for booking is 26 February.

You can find out more and book at bit.ly/roofconf.

The conference includes presentations specifically about stone roofing, including slate, and will include an update on what is now called the Building Stone Database for England (some will remember it as the Strategic Stone Study), the online resource you can access here. 

Traditional roofing materials and techniques have always helped define the appearance of the built heritage and create a sense of place to both individual buildings and a wider regional identity.

But traditional roofs are under threat, not just from deterioration, theft and vandalism, but also from a lack of awareness and knowledge of vernacular detailing.

This major one-day conference will report on Historic England’s latest technical research into the deterioration and conservation of traditional roof coverings (lead and thatch as well as stone) and discuss developments in conservation, repair and energy efficiency of traditional roofs.