Marley Eternit's plain clay tiles for Collegiate School

Marley Eternit’s traditional clay plain tiles proved to be the ideal choice for an ambitious development which involved tiling both the vertical walls and roof at the Berkhamsted Collegiate School, Hertfordshire.

The complex roof required 101,000 tiles to cover all surfaces above the first floor and was part of a £4.5m investment in a state-of-the-art design centre for the school.

Marley Eternit’s Ashdowne range of handcrafted clay plain tiles in Aylesham was specified for use on both the roof and vertical walls as the tile matched the architect’s original concept for the unusual project, which took into consideration the school’s other buildings and the local surroundings.

The Ashdowne range of clay plain tiles is available in seven colours and the smaller format is ideal for the creation of intricate designs. This made the Ashdowne range the ideal choice for the complex roof architects created at Collegiate School, which included an abundance of curved roofs and turrets.

Terry Smith, contract manager at Bracknell Roofing, who worked on the walls and roof, comments: “This was a very specialist and unusual project. Up to 14 highly- skilled contractors worked over 24 weeks to ensure the complex designs for the roof were completed to a high standard. In total, an area of 1500 square metres was tiled including approximately 600 square metres of vertical wall, 14 turrets and a curved central area.

“We have worked with Marley Eternit on many roofs in the past but this is by far the most unusual and there were many obstacles to overcome. Its clay tiles were an ideal choice as they provide a traditional and truly authentic look, whilst at the same time being easy to adapt to create intricate designs, which is crucial on a project like this.”

Diana Bullock, clay campaign manager at Marley Eternit, adds: “We were delighted to be part of such an unusual project. With such a wide range of clay plain tiles available, the specifiers were able to choose a tile which fitted their vision perfectly.

“Advances in our clay technology means we can offer the largest range of affordable clay plain tiles in the UK, this combined with our ‘A+’ rating from the BRE’s ‘Green Guide to Specification’ means clay plain tiles are a real option for any roofing project.”

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