A simple light fitting was the catalyst for a highly destructive fire that destroyed the roof and caused extensive interior damage to the popular Beacon Hotel in Burton on Trent. Owner, Simon Gaskin, who, with his family, has run the Beacon pub for the past 30 years was determined that it should regain its former regal look and restoring the distinctive curved roof that crowns the building was an integral part of this objective.
Simon Gaskin comments: “When we looked into the reconstruction of the building, we had to ensure that we could match as closely as possible what the previous roof had looked like. As the hotel is classed by the local planning department as a ‘Landmark building’, we could only obtain approval to proceed with the replacement roof when we could find a roof tile that would satisfy this requirement. Now the rebuilt roof is in situ, it really finishes off the new look Beacon Hotel, and our regulars have returned once more saying what a great job has taken place. The fire was an awful event, but we are delighted that the re-constructed Beacon Hotel has once more taken its place at the heart of our community.”
John Haycock, Area Sales Manager at Marley Eternit, led the specification on the roof refurbishment alongside the main building contractor and roofing contractor, Bracknell Roofing. He suggested various clay plain tile colour options as potentially suitable, as having looked at the area and knowing the planning concerns, determined that clay would be the best solution. After consultations between all parties, a final decision was taken to settle on the Marley Eternit Hawkins clay plain tile and the specified colour, Staffordshire Mixture.
He comments: “We were all highly aware of the need to provide an exact match for the previous roof in order to secure planning go-ahead. The Hawkins Staffordshire Mixture clay plain tile was the best option from this point of view. As well as the colour match and its excellent performance characteristics, the Hawkins range is also an affordable option which is an important factor on refurbishment projects such as the Beacon Hotel.”
Another challenge for the project was the curved roof structure that dominates the Beacon Hotel’s look, making it stand out in its location. Bracknell Roofing are highly experienced in overcoming challenging roofing designs and applied their expertise to meet the design requirements. The combination of the Hawkins clay plain tile and the curved sweep of the roof now gives the renovated building a distinctive aesthetic appeal, while matching seamlessly with the locality.
A total of 20,000 Hawkins Staffordshire Mixture clay plain tiles were used on the refurbished roof. The Hawkins range has also recently been extended with the addition of a new colour – Heather Blend – providing increased choice for specifiers.