Natural slate is the premium roofing material — beautiful, durable, and distinctive. Whether you need repairs to a Victorian slate roof in Old Basing or a new slate installation on a modern home, we source and fit slate to the highest standards.
While concrete interlocking tiles dominate Basingstoke's estate housing, natural slate appears on the older properties that predate the 1960s expansion — Victorian and Edwardian homes around Old Basing, the Top of Town, and scattered period cottages in surrounding villages. Slate also features on higher-specification modern builds and on properties where homeowners have chosen to upgrade from concrete to natural stone.
Repairing a slate roof requires matching the replacement slate to the existing roof in size, thickness, colour and texture. Welsh slate — blue-grey Penrhyn or purple Ffestiniog — was the standard on Victorian properties. Matching these slates to the weathered originals around them requires experience in sourcing from reclamation yards and specialist suppliers. We maintain relationships with yards across Hampshire, Surrey and South Wales for exactly this purpose.
Properties in Old Basing's conservation area and listed buildings throughout Basingstoke and Deane require like-for-like slate replacement. Machine-cut synthetic slate is not acceptable. We source genuine natural slate — reclaimed where possible, new quarried where reclaimed stock is unavailable — and fix using traditional copper or stainless steel nails to match the original specification.
For homeowners upgrading from concrete tile to natural slate, or for new builds specifying slate, we install both Welsh and Spanish natural slate. Spanish slate offers excellent value — typically 30–40% cheaper than Welsh at source — while providing similar durability and weather performance. We advise on the best slate for your property, budget and aesthetic preference.
Matching replacement slate to an existing roof means finding the correct size, thickness, colour, texture and geological origin. Welsh slate from Penrhyn is blue-grey; Ffestiniog slate is purple-grey; Cumbrian slate is green; Spanish slate varies by quarry. Getting this wrong produces a patchwork that is visible from the street and, on conservation area properties, may attract enforcement action.
We maintain contacts with reclamation yards across Hampshire, Surrey, Wiltshire and South Wales and can source most common UK profiles from stock within two to four weeks. For unusual sizes or colours we commission from specialist suppliers holding named quarry stock. over a third of the housing stock dates from the 1960s–70s overspill expansion, so the same failures recur across entire streets.
New slates are fixed with copper nails on heritage work and stainless steel on modern installations — both resist corrosion for the full working life of the slate, which substantially outlasts the fixings used on concrete tile roofs. For individual replacements where removing surrounding slates is impractical, we use a slate ripper to extract the damaged slate and secure the replacement with a lead or copper tingle. This allows single-slate repair without disturbing adjacent courses, which matters on period roofs where every slate has weathered uniquely.
Welsh slate lasts 100–150 years. Spanish slate typically 75–100 years. Both substantially outlast the 50–60 year design life of concrete interlocking tiles. On a cost-per-year-of-service basis, natural slate is frequently the cheaper option despite the higher initial outlay — and it adds character and value that concrete cannot match.
Individual slate replacement: £15–£40 per slate (plus access). Slate roof repair: £200–£800. Full re-slate (reclaimed Welsh): from £12,000. Full re-slate (Spanish): from £8,000. Call 0125 624 2410.
Related: How Much Does a New Roof Cost in Basingstoke? →
Case Study: Heritage Repair in Old Basing →
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Call 0125 624 2410Four steps from first call to completed work. No call-out fee, no obligation, and a written quote before anything starts.
We inspect your Basingstoke slate roof — identifying slipped, cracked or delaminating slates, checking fixings, and assessing the overall condition. For replacements, we note the slate type, size and colour for matching.
We source matching slate — reclaimed for heritage work, new quarried for modern installations. Your quote specifies slate origin, fixing method, and total cost.
Individual slate replacement using ripper and tingles for minimal disturbance. Full re-slating with copper or stainless steel nails to the correct gauge and lap. Heritage work to conservation standards.
Slate work inspected, all repairs photographed, site cleaned. Natural slate lasts 75–150 years — your 10-year workmanship guarantee covers the installation for the first decade.
Ready to start? Call 0125 624 2410 for your free survey.
"Six slipped slates on our Victorian cottage in Old Basing. They sourced reclaimed Welsh slate that matches the originals perfectly — you cannot tell which are new. Exactly the specialist knowledge this kind of property needs."
"Full re-slate on our Edwardian house with Spanish natural slate. Stunning finish, competitive price compared to the Welsh slate quotes we got elsewhere. Laid perfectly with copper nails."
"Emergency repair after a slate cracked and water was getting into the loft. They had a matching replacement on the van and had it in within the hour. Quick, clean, professional."
Welsh slate can last 100–150+ years. Spanish slate typically 75–100 years. Both significantly outlast concrete tiles (50–60 years) and are often the most cost-effective option over the full life of the roof.
Yes. We source reclaimed Welsh slate from specialist yards to match existing roofs in size, thickness, colour and texture. For conservation area properties, like-for-like matching is essential and we have the contacts to source what is needed.
High-quality Spanish slate is an excellent roofing material — durable, weather-resistant, and significantly cheaper than Welsh at source. It is slightly softer and may not last quite as long in the most exposed positions, but for most Basingstoke properties it is an outstanding choice.
A full re-slate costs roughly 2–3 times more than concrete tile replacement. However, slate lasts 2–3 times longer, requires less maintenance, and adds significantly more value to the property. Over a 100-year period, slate is often the cheaper option.
We install natural slate only. Synthetic slate products have a shorter lifespan, do not weather naturally, and are not acceptable in conservation areas or on listed buildings. Natural slate is always our recommendation.
Yes — but the existing roof structure must be assessed. Slate is heavier per square metre than concrete interlocking tiles, and some 1960s trussed rafter roofs may need reinforcement. We survey the structure before quoting.
We use copper nails on heritage and conservation work, and stainless steel nails on modern installations. Both resist corrosion for the full life of the slate — unlike the iron nails on Basingstoke's estate concrete tile roofs that cause nail sickness after 50 years.
No call-out fees. No obligation. Just an honest quote from a local Basingstoke roofer who'll turn up when they say they will.
0125 624 2410