Gloucestershire Roof Cleaning cleans roofs in Highnam: a low-pressure clean or a manual moss scrape, finished with a biocide treatment. Most roof cleans are £550–£950, including a free gutter clear and a 2-year moss-free guarantee. Need the gutters done on their own? See gutter cleaning in Gloucester, which covers Highnam, from £90.
Free gutter clearance and free biocide on every Highnam roof clean. Ageing Maidenhall and Oakridge tile, and heritage roofs near the Court, handled correctly.
Highnam sits on low, flat ground three miles west of Gloucester, pinned between the River Severn on its Gloucester side and the River Leadon to the north, with Alney Island and the floodplain just across the water. It's the kind of geography that holds damp. The vale floods — the Severn put a lot of this low ground under water in both 1947 and 2007 — and even in a dry summer that flat, wet basin keeps the air sitting heavy with moisture. Moisture is exactly what moss, lichen and gloeocapsa algae feed on, so a Highnam roof tends to carry more growth than an identical house up on the drier slopes towards the A40 or out past Newent.
Then there's the tree cover, which is what really sets Highnam apart. The village is ringed by woodland — RSPB Highnam Woods on the western edge and Lassington Wood to the east — and the parish is dotted with mature trees and hedgerow. All that canopy throws shade across roofs that would otherwise dry out in the sun, and every autumn it drops a steady fall of leaves and debris onto the tiles and into the gutters. Shade keeps a pitch permanently damp; leaf-litter feeds the moss and clogs the drainage. North-facing slopes under the tree line are usually the worst, going green years before the south-facing side of the same house.
Most of the village's housing is the kind of roof that suffers most in those conditions: concrete interlocking tile. Maidenhall — the core estate, started in the late 1930s and built out through the 1940s, 50s and into the 60s — and the 1970s Oakridge ring are mostly textured concrete tile, and textured tile gives spores something to grip. By the time someone calls us, a north-facing Maidenhall roof is often a thick mat of moss sitting in the laps, with the gutters behind it choked with washed-down growth and leaf-mould off the surrounding trees.
One thing that's specific to Highnam is how tightly the estates were built within a few years of each other. Maidenhall went up across the same post-war decades, and Oakridge a little later, so a whole road of roofs reaches the point where the moss is impossible to ignore at roughly the same time — which is why, once we're booked on one house, we'll often end up doing two or three more on the same street that same week. It's also why we don't believe in pressure-blasting concrete tile that's already several decades old: the surface coating has thinned with age, and hammering it with high pressure takes years off the tile to buy you one clean season. Lifting the moss by hand and then treating with biocide is gentler on the tile and lasts far longer, which matters when the roof still has plenty of life left in it.
Each one has its own approach. Method matters more than equipment.
The bulk of the village. Maidenhall was built across the late 1940s, 50s and 60s, so much of its Marley and Redland concrete tile is now decades old — textured, moss-gripping, and with a surface coating that has thinned with age. We lift the moss off by hand, then biocide. No high pressure on tile this old. Expect a noticeable colour shift as the treatment works over the following weeks — it can take up to two months to fully clean the roof.
The Oakridge loop and the streets around it are a little younger but the same textured concrete tile, and the same heavy north-facing growth under the village tree cover. Standard bulk-removal-then-biocide treatment, with the gutters pulled through at the same time — they fill fast here with leaf-mould off the surrounding woodland.
Brimsome Meadow, Poppy Field and the other newer pockets named after the old farmland — smoother, younger concrete tile from the more recent builds. Younger doesn't mean immune: in this damp, shaded basin even fresh tile greens on the north side. These take bulk-off-then-biocide.
The older properties around Highnam Court, Church Lane and the farmhouses out towards Lassington and Over — hand-made clay, stone and slate, often a century or more old and brittle when wet. These are scraped by hand, never pressured, working off a roof ladder, with everything kept clear of lime mortar and old leadwork.
From the post-war Maidenhall core to the newer field-named closes and the hamlets in the parish — same Severn-Leadon damp, slightly different roof on each.
The village's core estate, started in the late 1930s and built out into the 1960s — almost all concrete interlocking tile, much of it now well into its second life and carrying heavy moss on the shaded, north-facing pitches.
The 1970s ring of housing wrapped around the village, with its all-weather footpath loop — settled streets of textured concrete tile that mat up fast under the surrounding tree cover and damp basin air.
The newer developments named after the original farmland — Brimsome Meadow, Poppy Field, Stoney Field, Long Field and the rest — younger, smoother tile that's still greening on the north side, so worth treating before the moss takes proper hold.
The older heart of the village around the green and the lane up to Holy Innocents Church and Highnam Court — a mix of period cottages and heritage clay, stone and slate that gets careful hand-scraping rather than pressure.
The hamlet to the east of the village, beside Lassington Wood — scattered houses and farmhouses under heavy tree cover, where shade and leaf-fall keep roofs damp and gutters blocked most of the year.
The hamlet on the Gloucester side of the parish by Telford's Over Bridge and the A40 gateway, close to the Severn and Alney Island — low, damp ground that grows roof moss readily, on a mix of older and modern tile.
Most of Highnam is post-war and modern estate tile, but the village has a remarkable heritage core, and the roofs there need a completely different hand. Highnam Court is a Grade I house with origins in the seventeenth century, set in Grade I registered gardens that Thomas Gambier Parry laid out after he bought the estate in 1837 — including one of the country's earliest pinetums — now opened to the public. Around it stands a cluster of estate buildings Parry put up: the church, the lodge, the rectory and the old schoolhouse, several of them listed in their own right.
The jewel is Holy Innocents Church. Built between 1849 and 1851 to Henry Woodyer's Gothic Revival design as Parry's memorial to his first wife and the children he lost young, it carries an interior frescoed by Parry himself in his own "spirit fresco" technique, and John Betjeman called it "the most complete Victorian church in this country." It is Grade I listed. We're not roofing contractors and we don't touch the church — but it tells you the kind of fabric that turns up on the older properties nearby: old clay, stone and slate on structures that have stayed watertight for well over a century by being left alone, not blasted.
On any heritage roof in the village we hand-scrape only, never pressure, because force cracks old tile and drives water into a structure that has earned the right to be treated gently. For listed buildings, cleaning sits in a careful zone: straightforward removal of biological growth normally doesn't need listed-building consent, because you're not altering the fabric, but anything that touches mortar, lead or the original tile-fixing usually does. We'll tell you upfront if a job crosses that line so you can speak to Forest of Dean District Council's conservation team before booking. We keep biocide off lime mortar by sheeting and rinsing the edges, and where old lead has weathered to a soft grey patina we'll usually recommend leaving it rather than scrubbing it back to bright metal — which is exactly the kind of thing heritage officers, reasonably, don't want to see.
At quote stage we check whether your property looks listed and glance at the Historic England map before the survey. It costs us five minutes and can save you a planning headache.
A free look at the roof, the gutters and the access, after which we tell you what's needed and what it costs. On the older properties near the Court and church we raise anything that touches listed-building rules first. No pressure to book.
We lift the heavy moss by hand from a ladder or tower and clear the gutters at the same time. On Highnam's damp, thickly mossed concrete tile — and on fragile heritage clay alike — the bulk growth has to be lifted off before the biocide can reach the spores beneath, and the leaf-litter off the surrounding woods comes out of the gutters with it.
An approved biocide follows, at the correct dilution, killing algae, lichen and remaining spores at the root with no high-pressure water on the tiles. In a shaded, humid river basin like this, where regrowth comes back fast, it's the step that counts.
Guaranteed against moss, algae and lichen for two years. If regrowth appears in that time, we return and re-treat it at no charge. Written into every quote.
A Highnam roof clean keeps us on the ladders or tower most of the day regardless, so it makes sense to pull the gutters through while we're up there — and the biocide is what holds the result for two years, which counts for a lot in a basin this damp and tree-shaded. You pay for neither; both come as standard.
The free gutter clear is more than a nicety here. Highnam is ringed by woodland, and every autumn that canopy drops leaves and debris straight into the gutters; add the moss that washes down off the roof and a gutter blocks quickly, pushing water down the wall instead of away from the house — which matters on low ground that already deals with plenty of water. We clear what comes off the roof as we go, so you're not left with a clean roof and blocked gutters. And because the biocide carries on working long after we've packed up, most Highnam customers get two seasons or more before they'd even think about booking us back — in a microclimate this damp, that's the part that earns its keep.
Get my Highnam quoteMost roof cleans in Highnam cost £550–£950, including moss removal, a biocide treatment and a free gutter clear. Larger, steeper or harder-to-reach roofs cost more. Highnam runs from big, mossy concrete-tile semis and detached homes on Maidenhall and Oakridge through to the occasional brittle heritage roof near the Court — and the fragile ones take careful hand-scraping rather than fast pressure, which is part of why we won't quote a flat rate over the phone. Every roof's different. A standard semi or detached sits in that range; heavy moss, awkward access and big detached houses push it up.
What moves the price:
Included as standard: clearing the gutters while we're on the roof, and the biocide that keeps moss off for two years.
Getting a price: a free survey, no obligation, a written price the same day, no deposit, and you pay when it's done. See our full roof cleaning cost guide → More on roof cleaning: is roof cleaning safe?, why clean your roof?, how to get rid of roof moss for good and the best time of year to clean a roof.
At Gloucestershire Roof Cleaning, most roof cleans in Highnam cost £550–£950, including moss removal, a biocide treatment and a free gutter clear. Larger, steeper or harder-to-reach roofs cost more. We give you a written price the same day after a free survey, with no deposit — you pay when the job's done. See the full roof cleaning cost guide.
Highnam sits in a low, damp basin between the Severn and the Leadon, three miles west of Gloucester, with RSPB Highnam Woods on one side and Lassington Wood on the other. Low ground keeps the air humid, the surrounding woodland throws shade and sheds leaves onto the roofs every autumn, and the heavy tree cover keeps north-facing pitches from ever properly drying out. Humidity, shade and leaf-fall are exactly what moss, lichen and algae feed on, so a Highnam roof tends to carry heavier growth than a house on the open, drier ground up towards the A40 or out past Newent.
No. The textured concrete interlocking tile on Maidenhall and Oakridge — much of it now several decades old — has a surface coating that thins with age, so we don't hammer it with high pressure. We lift the moss off by hand from a ladder or tower, then treat with biocide. That's gentler on tile that still has plenty of life left, and the biocide is what actually stops the moss returning, not the force of the water.
Two years, guaranteed. The biocide we apply keeps killing fresh spores after we've left site, and if regrowth appears within two years we come back and re-treat it at no charge. Highnam is a damp, tree-shaded village in a river basin, so it sits at the wetter end of the county and north-facing pitches under the woodland canopy may colour up sooner than open south-facing ones. Pressure-washing on its own buys you about a season — the moss is back the next autumn because the spores are still in the tile. The biocide is the difference between cleaning the surface and treating the cause.
Yes, when applied properly. We use approved biocides at manufacturer-specified dilutions, applied in dry conditions so the active ingredient bonds to the tile rather than running off. Pets are kept indoors during application and for an hour after; planted borders are sheeted and watered down before and after. Highnam backs onto Severn and Leadon floodplain and two woodland nature reserves, so we're particularly careful about run-off, and we've never had an issue with ponds or wildlife in years of doing this.
Possibly. Highnam Court is a Grade I 17th-century house with Grade I listed gardens, and Holy Innocents Church — Henry Woodyer's 1849–51 Gothic Revival church, which Betjeman called the most complete Victorian church in the country — is also Grade I, along with the cluster of estate buildings Thomas Gambier Parry put up around it. Roofs on or near those have old clay, stone or slate on fragile structures, and on those we hand-scrape only, never pressure, and keep biocide off lime mortar and old leadwork. Straightforward moss removal usually doesn't need listed-building consent because you're not altering the fabric; anything touching mortar, lead or the original fixings does, and we'll flag it before we start so you can check with Forest of Dean District Council first.
It does. Highnam sits on low ground between the Severn and the Leadon, with Alney Island and the floodplain on its Gloucester side — the same Severn that flooded badly across the vale in 1947 and 2007. Even in a dry year that low, wet ground keeps humidity high, and high humidity is what moss, lichen and algae live on. Add the shade and leaf-fall from Highnam Woods and Lassington Wood and you have a microclimate that grows roof moss fast. It doesn't change how we clean, but it does mean the free biocide treatment earns its keep here.
For most jobs, no. We work from a ladder or scaffold tower with a long-reach lance, which means no concentrated weight on the tiles and no boot scuffs on the ridges. On the standard two-storey semis and detached homes across Maidenhall and Oakridge that's usually all it takes. On steeper or older roofs — including the heritage clay and stone around the Court and church — we use a roof ladder hooked over the ridge to spread the load safely. We'll tell you in advance which method we're using and why.
Three reasons that matter, in order. Tile life — moss holds moisture against the surface, accelerating freeze-thaw damage and shortening the life of the roof, which on an ageing Maidenhall concrete tile brings forward an expensive re-roof. Gutters and downpipes — moss and leaf-litter off the surrounding woodland wash into the gutters and block them, pushing water down the wall instead of away from the house, which matters on low-lying ground that already deals with plenty of water. Insurance and resale — some insurers query roofs visibly covered in growth, and a clean roof is a quiet but real factor in kerb appeal in a sought-after village like Highnam. Cleaning costs a fraction of replacing tiles or repointing ridges.
Not for good: spores are always in the air, and in a tree-ringed, damp village like Highnam they're never far away. Taking the moss off by hand or with a low-pressure clean, then applying a biocide, keeps a roof clear for two years; our guide explains how to get rid of roof moss permanently.
No. High-pressure jet washing strips the surface off tiles, can crack or lift them and drives water under the laps. We use a low-pressure clean on modern concrete tiles and a manual moss scrape on Welsh slate, Cotswold stone and old clay, then a biocide. In Highnam most roofs are ageing concrete interlocking tile on Maidenhall and Oakridge, where the surface coating has already thinned, so we usually lift the moss by hand there too. The old clay, stone and slate around the Court and church is always done by hand. We always tell you the method first.
Yes — Gloucestershire Roof Cleaning carries £5m public liability insurance.
We had excellent service from start to finish. The guys were very professional, discussed everything over the phone initially then a visit with the drone to allow accurate quarter and expectation management. On the day they were considerate with the neighbours, did a wonderful job with the roof and gutters and cleared up so well that everything looked far better than when they started. Cannot recommend more highly.
We had excellent service from start to finish. The guys were very professional, discussed everything over the phone initially then a visit with the drone to allow accurate quarter and expectation management. On the day they were considerate with the neighbours, did a wonderful job with the roof and gutters and cleared up so well that everything looked far better than when they started. Cannot recommend more highly.
Really impressed with Aquapro Roof cleaning. Very professional guys that done such a good job, that it looks like I’ve had a new roof installed, (after 40yrs of dirt and moss). Blake talked me through everything in detail, and answered any questions I had. Showed me the end result with his drone footage and left house clean and tidy. Highly recommended.
Really impressed with Aquapro Roof cleaning. Very professional guys that done such a good job, that it looks like I’ve had a new roof installed, (after 40yrs of dirt and moss). Blake talked me through everything in detail, and answered any questions I had. Showed me the end result with his drone footage and left house clean and tidy. Highly recommended.
100% recommend this team . From start to finish was kept informed.On the morning a text to say what time they will be there and arrived on time . Worked from 9:30 till 7:30pm on the roof and jet washing all the area after. Very professional and had all the kit even a drone to show you the results of the whole area . The difference is amazing and looks like a new roof . Really happy with the results and so many comments from neighbours too saying how good it looks . You will not be disappointed .
100% recommend this team . From start to finish was kept informed.On the morning a text to say what time they will be there and arrived on time . Worked from 9:30 till 7:30pm on the roof and jet washing all the area after. Very professional and had all the kit even a drone to show you the results of the whole area . The difference is amazing and looks like a new roof . Really happy with the results and so many comments from neighbours too saying how good it looks . You will not be disappointed .
The Guys did a fantastic job on my roof and worked nonstop all day to get the job done and left everything clean and tidy after themselves, highly recommend and would look to use again 👍, made a massive difference to the house.
The Guys did a fantastic job on my roof and worked nonstop all day to get the job done and left everything clean and tidy after themselves, highly recommend and would look to use again 👍, made a massive difference to the house.
Would strongly recommend. Swift with good work quality and kept the surrounding areas tidy. Looks like a new roof! Would 100% recommend.
Would strongly recommend. Swift with good work quality and kept the surrounding areas tidy. Looks like a new roof! Would 100% recommend.
What can I say other than WOW !! Massive thank you to Blake and Dan for all of your hard work, so professional and such an amazing job! Left everything spotless so pleased, highly recommend to everyone. Extremely happy
What can I say other than WOW !! Massive thank you to Blake and Dan for all of your hard work, so professional and such an amazing job! Left everything spotless so pleased, highly recommend to everyone. Extremely happy
Free gutter clean and biocide treatment with every roof clean. Ageing estate tile and heritage roofs handled correctly. Fully insured, no-obligation quote, written the same day.
