Local roofing company has the West Country covered

The front cover of this issue shows the impressive re-roofing project at the central Post Office in Bath. The project, including the intricate leadwork on the skylight, was carried out by local firm Young's Roofing Ltd. It is just one example of the impressive scope of roofing work the company accomplishes.

Based in Bath since its formation in 1985, this family-owned company have worked on a host of iconic buildings in the region.

They include the soaring roofs of Wells Cathedral (main picture) - one of the country's most renowned medieval edifices. Work on the cathedral included the re-roofing of the Mary Mitchell Gardens, boiler house and lead tower in Code 6. The main materials used on this prestigious site are natural slates and lead.

With up to 20 fitters working at any one time - including a team of lead welders - Young's confidently expect to turn over around £2m this financial year, split between major property developers and smaller domestic projects.

The company's customer base includes commercial and domestic end users, developers, main contractors, public bodies and the heritage industry. It even counts the Duchy of Cornwall among its clients.

Notable buildings that figure among recent projects include Stroud's old Town Hall, where Young's supplied and fixed Welsh slate with Code 8 leadwork and Code 4 flashings and Godwyn Castle in Painswick where they fitted Ffestiniog Natural Welsh slate.

Other local authority projects include Salisbury District Council's offices - which had new Welsh slates fitted.

The company also recently re-roofed the stunning Eastwood Manor in Somerset using double Roman clay tiles with plain clay tiles on the turret. Following that a new gym and pool building have been fitted with clay double Roman tiles and Ffestiniog Welsh slate respectively.

The prestigious 18th-century Babington House, also in Somerset, is now a lavish hotel and has had a new build extension added. Young's Roofing were instructed to fit new cedar shingles in the new cow shed, as well as fitting new Code 8 leadworks to the orangery and nearby to the Old Gaol House in Mells using Cotswold stone tiles with mitred hips.

Westwood House is a large property on the outskirts of Bath. Young's recently erected a new roof on the building using various codes of lead, Cotswold stone tiles and Rhepanol flat roofing membrane. They also installed a conical roof on its dovecote.

Among the National Trust properties the company has worked on is the famous Temple of Apollo in the gardens of Stourhead House in Wiltshire. Its newly-constructed dome carries Code 8 leadwork installed by Young's.

Another National Trust property is the Tyntesfield Estate, where Young's installed a new roof on the Summer House using natural plain clay tiles.
Young's are equally at home serving God or Mammon. Projects have included the installation of a new roof to the village church in Lullington in Somerset, using stone tiles, and Westerleigh church in Bristol using sandstone Welsh tiles, as well as the roofing element in the refurbishment of the Golden Cross public house in the centre of Gloucester.

This long list of successes is due in no small part to the traditional outlook of the company. Founder and principal Rob Young explained: "We are, in our opinion, in a minority of contractors that do what we say we will do, in a professional manner while ensuring our customers are kept informed of progress. We use mainly direct labour, but have long-standing arrangements with specialist and labour-only sub-contractors."

Young's are members of the National Federation of Roofing Contractors and its Trust Mark scheme, the Lead Contractors' Association and the Federation of Master Builders. For more information visit www.youngsroofing.co.uk.