Stone slate repairs, chimneys and rainwater goods in the Whitkirk Conservation Area around St Mary’s Church, and everyday roof repairs on the 20th-century streets around it. Fully insured, with a free survey and the price fixed in writing.
Whitkirk takes its name from Witechirche, the white church, recorded in the 12th century, when the Knights Templar held the manor. Today’s St Mary’s Church is mostly 15th century, with a chancel rebuilt in 1901 by G. F. Bodley, and is Grade I listed; its tower and lead-clad spire are visible all along Colton Road. The small group of historic houses at the junction of Selby Road and Colton Road dates from the mid 18th to the early 19th century, roughly the period when Capability Brown re-landscaped Temple Newsam Park (1762–71) and the main approach to Temple Newsam House moved to the north, through Whitkirk.
Leeds City Council’s appraisal describes the rest of Whitkirk as suburban development from the 1930s to the 1970s. Even street names such as Kingsway, Knightsway and Baronsway recall medieval paths to Temple Newsam. So a Whitkirk roof may be 18th-century stone slate on a listed house, or the tiled roof of a 1950s semi a few streets away.
Whitkirk was designated a conservation area on 25 June 1973. After a review in 2008–09 the boundary was redrawn from 16 March 2009: it was extended west along Selby Road to take in Temple Newsam and Whitkirk Cemetery, and Pendil Close, Stewart Close and Lennox Gardens were taken out. The council’s Whitkirk Conservation Area Appraisal and Management Plan (and boundary map) describes buildings that are consistently two storeys, with eaves running parallel to the road. Most roofs are double pitched; 3, 3A and 4 Colton Road are hipped. Walls are mainly locally produced brick, and stone slate tiles predominate on the roofs. The appraisal also singles out cast iron rainwater goods and chimney stacks as features worth keeping.
Not sure if you are inside the boundary? The council’s conservation area pages have the map, and we flag consent questions in our written quote.
The tight group at the Selby Road and Colton Road junction, built at the back of the pavement. Some carry Templar crosses on their datestones, such as 396 Selby Road and 4 Colton Road.
Stone slate · brick stacks · cast iron guttersThe Manor House and The Keep, The Grange and Ivy House, set back behind gardens and stone walls. Coped gables and hipped roofs need careful detailing.
Stone slate · coped gables · hipsThe houses that now surround the old village, on streets such as Kingsway, Knightsway and Baronsway. Typical work is tile repairs, re-roofs, fascias and chimneys.
Clay or concrete tile · uPVC or timber eavesCloses built inside the original 1973 boundary, including Pendil Close, Stewart Close and Lennox Gardens, which the council took out of the conservation area in 2009.
Modern tiled roofs · uPVC eavesThe Whitkirk appraisal says cast iron rainwater goods have a positive impact on the conservation area. Cast iron lasts a long time if it is painted, but joints rust, brackets fail and blocked hoppers overflow down brickwork. We clean, reseal and rehang sound sections, and replace cracked lengths with matching cast iron on the older houses. On Whitkirk’s 20th-century homes outside the boundary, uPVC is a sensible, low-maintenance choice. See our guttering service and, for rotten eaves boards, fascias and soffits.
The management plan notes that chimney stacks add historic value here, so on the older houses the aim is to repair a stack, not take it down. A brick field marked on the 1847 map near today’s Kingsway may have supplied much of the original brick, so we match replacement brick and mortar carefully. The usual jobs are raking out and repointing, renewing lead where the stack meets the stone slates, and rebedding pots. Expect from £350 for repointing, £450 for lead flashing, £600 for a partial rebuild and £1,500 for a full rebuild, plus scaffolding from £400; the final cost depends on access and condition and is fixed in writing after a free survey. Read our chimney repair costs guide or the chimney repairs page.
A gale can shift heavy stone slates or bring down a ridge, and on the suburban streets tiles and flashings can go too. We answer emergency callouts 7 days a week, secure the roof and keep the water out, then return with a written quote for the permanent repair in matching materials. See emergency roof repairs.
Like-for-like stone slate work on the listed houses by St Mary’s.
Learn More →Stacks repointed, reflashed and rebuilt to match, not removed.
Learn More →Cast iron repaired or matched in the conservation area, uPVC elsewhere.
Learn More →Tile, ridge and valley repairs on 1930s–70s homes.
Learn More →Rotten eaves boards replaced on Whitkirk’s suburban houses.
Learn More →Storm damage secured 7 days a week.
Learn More →From our base in Kirkstall (LS5) we cover Whitkirk streets including Selby Road, Colton Road, Kingsway, Knightsway, Baronsway, Bullerthorpe Lane, Pendil Close, Stewart Close, Lennox Gardens and the surrounding streets of LS15.
See every area on our coverage map.
Free survey, fixed written price and matching materials on period houses.
