Langley School in Norfolk – built as a private house in 1740 and a Grade One-listed property – has finally had the original leadwork on its north west turret replaced as part of a major refurbishment carried out by Norfolk Sheet Lead, and which has won them the 2008 Murdoch Sponsor’s Award.

 “I looked very carefully when we were working on the north west turret and there were no signs of anything other than the original fixings for the sheet we were removing, so it was definitely the original roof,” said Carl Bream, managing director of Norfolk Sheet Lead.
“It was an incredible testament to the longevity of lead sheet and I hope in 260 years time people are saying the same thing about our work on this project!”
Having won the order in open tender, Norfolk Sheet Lead worked in close conjunction with Annahigh Consultancy, the appointed architects for the project, which as well as carefully renewing of the lead on four turrets involved replacing the damaged substrate and reinstating the original wherever possible.
The joints on the original turrets were formed of wood-cored rolls, with only four bays per pitch on the north west turret and seven bays per pitch on the other three. In renewing the lead it was agreed that seven bays per turret should be used throughout, so that the four turrets matched and at the same time complied with LSA recommended practice.
“The north west turret was understandably in the worst condition,” explained Carl. “The original sand-cast sheet had split in several places and the water ingress had rotted the timber substrate below virtually to the point of disintegration, ultimately causing the roof to collapse.”
A careful assessment of the works required enabled 50% of the original roof timbers to be re-used. The setting out of the substrate was modified to allow for the agreed changes, while successfully maintaining the visual appearance of the four turrets.
However, NSL were not allowed to modify the substrate for the gutters, which would have enabled them to introduce the required number of drips for the fall to comply with recommended practice.
“That was the sting in the tail,” said Carl. “Although the main roof and turret details were in Code 6 rolled lead sheet, we couldn’t use Code 6 for the parapet gutters.”
The answer to the problem was to increase the thickness of the lead to Code 12, which allowed much longer lengths to be laid, reducing the number of drips required and enabling NSL to comply with recommended practice without changing the detail.
The only problem then was the physical bossing of the lead into shape.
Bossing was used throughout the project in preference to cutting and welding details. But it is one thing to boss Code 6; it is quite a different proposition to boss Code 12  lead sheet that is more than 5mm thick and weighs 60kgs per square metre, even for the most experienced (and fittest) of leadworkers.
Carl Bream smiled at the memory. “Well I couldn’t ask anyone else to have a go at something I wasn’t prepared to do myself first,” he said.
In all, just under two tonnes of lead were laid on the project, which took a month from start to finish and also included the repairing and replacing of the original hollow copper finial.
Graham Hudson, the managing director of Associated Lead Mills, which actually provides the Murdoch Sponsors Award, was delighted that his own company played an important part in the project as the supplier of the rolled lead sheet for the roof (including the notorious Code 12).
“This was a super project for us to be involved in,” said Graham, “and I am delighted the judges deemed it worthy of winning the 2008 Murdoch Sponsors Award.”
• The Murdoch Sponsors Award is named in honour of Richard Murdoch and supplements the Murdoch Award by recognising the smaller leadwork project. It is open to all members of the Lead Contractors Association using rolled lead sheet from any manufacturer (provided it is to BSEN12588 or traditional sand-cast sheet from a recognised supplier) on projects of up to five tonnes.