Gloucestershire Roof Cleaning cleans roofs in Stow-on-the-Wold: 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? Our gutter cleaning covers Stow-on-the-Wold too, from £90.
Free gutter clearance and free biocide on every Stow roof clean. Exposed, damp, listed and conservation-area cottages handled correctly.
There's an old couplet about this town: "Stow-on-the-Wold, where the wind blows cold." It's etched on the wall of St Edward's Hall in the Market Square, and it tells you everything you need to know about why roofs up here struggle. Stow is the highest town in the Cotswolds, standing 800 feet up on the top of an open hill where eight roads meet, with the Roman Fosse Way running through. Down in the sheltered valleys of Bourton or the Swells the weather passes over; up on the wold it sits. Wind, cloud and damp linger across the rooftops far longer than they do lower down, and that constant moisture is the single biggest reason Stow roofs carry such heavy growth.
The layout of the town keeps that damp in. Stow is built around a large market square with tall stone buildings on every side, and the narrow passages locals call "tures" — made narrow and winding to funnel sheep into the market — run off it between high walls. Rear pitches along Sheep Street and Digbeth Street and the shaded side of the Square see little direct sun in winter. On those roofs we typically find moss packed into the stone, lichen spread across the slates and gutters full of what has washed down.
Wind is the other half of it. On an open hilltop there's nothing to break the weather, and rain gets driven up under the laps and into the joints of the slate. The town is built from oolitic limestone, with Cotswold stone slate on many of the older roofs from its wool-trade days, and that porous stone takes on whatever water the wind pushes into it.
That's why method matters. Pressure would split the slates and force more water under them, and a broken stone slate has to be replaced with reclaimed stone. So in Stow the moss is taken off by hand from a roof ladder that spreads the load, and the roof is then treated with biocide.
Further out, toward the A429 and on the newer housing at the edges of town, roofs are mostly concrete interlocking tile, with some Welsh slate and plain tile on later extensions. They're just as exposed. Depending on the tile they get a low-pressure clean or a hand scrape, then the biocide.
Four coverings make up nearly every Stow roof we price, and no two are cleaned quite the same way.
On the townhouses and cottages around the Market Square, Sheep Street, Park Street and Digbeth Street. Thin, porous limestone slates in graded courses, which the local conservation guidance expects to stay as Cotswold stone. We clear them by hand from a roof ladder and keep the biocide off lime mortar and lead.
On some cottages and outbuildings in town and out at Maugersbury, Broadwell and the Swells. Old clay is fragile when wet and suffers in frost on this high ground, so it's scraped by hand in dry weather, carefully around ridges, hips and valleys.
On some later Georgian and Victorian buildings and extensions. The slate itself is tough, but on an exposed hilltop the lead flashings and ridge mortar are what keep the rain out, so we clear the laps by hand, rinse at low pressure where appropriate and leave those details untouched.
Marley and Redland interlocking tile on newer housing at the edges of Stow and off the Fosse Way. Spores lodge in the rough surface and the hilltop damp keeps it wet. We hand-clear the bulk of the moss, then apply biocide.
From the Square and the tures out to the GL54 villages around the town — the hilltop roofs are the most exposed, the valley ones the most shaded.
The heart of the town around St Edward's Hall, the old market cross and stocks, ringed by tall stone townhouses and threaded with the narrow medieval "tures" — shaded, listed, on porous stone slate that gets hand-scrape only.
The old approaches off the Square lined with stone cottages, inns and townhouses — north-facing pitches that hold damp long after the rain has gone, where heavy moss calls for a careful, slow hand-clean.
The streets dropping away toward St Edward's Church and its famous yew-tree door — historic stone houses and cottages, much of it inside the conservation area, all on heritage stone slate that we treat by hand.
The quiet stone hamlets just east and north of the town — small, shaded Cotswold cottages on stone slate and clay, often second homes and holiday lets, where moss takes hold quickly in the cold, damp upland air.
The two Swells villages in the valley below Stow, covered by the same neighbourhood plan as the town — classic stone-slate and clay cottages in a damp, sheltered river setting where growth thrives on shaded pitches.
The newer housing around the edges of Stow and the homes strung along the A429 — a mix of modern concrete tile, Welsh slate and later additions, all greening readily in this exposed hilltop position.
Stow's centre is a designated conservation area full of listed buildings, and one of the most consistent examples of Cotswold stone building anywhere in the Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. The Square, St Edward's Church and St Edward's Hall, and the merchants' houses on Sheep Street and Digbeth Street share the same stone and the same stone-slate roofs. Our job on them is to take off what's growing and leave the slate intact.
Clearing moss and algae doesn't normally require listed building consent, as the fabric isn't altered. Work on the mortar, lead or original slate fixings can, and if a roof needs it we'll tell you before booking so you can talk to Cotswold District Council's conservation team. The local design guidance wants original stone-slate roofs kept and repaired like-for-like in Cotswold stone, not replaced with artificial tile or blue slate, so cleaning without breaking slates is the whole point. Lime mortar is sheeted and rinsed, and weathered lead is left alone.
It's worth remembering why Stow looks the way it does. The town grew up at the junction of the Fosse Way and seven other roads, and it grew rich on the medieval wool and cloth trade — Daniel Defoe famously reported 20,000 sheep sold here in a single day at the great fairs. The narrow tures off the Square were built deliberately tight and winding to funnel those sheep to market. In 1646 the last pitched battle of the first Civil War was fought on the wold just outside the town, the defeated Royalists driven back into these very streets and held prisoner in St Edward's Church. That history is why people come to Stow, and why a green roof on the Square gets noticed.
Before the survey we look the building up on the Historic England list. If it's listed, we know the grade before we arrive and plan the job around it.
We look at the roof, the gutters and the access — on the Square that includes the pavement, parked cars and whoever's trading below. You get a written price, and any listed-building point is raised before you commit.
Bulk moss is scraped off by hand from a ladder, tower or roof ladder, and the gutters are cleared at the same time. Stone slate is never put under pressure.
An approved biocide is applied at the right dilution to kill algae, lichen and spores at the root. Up on the wold, where the weather sits on the roofs, that treatment is what holds the result.
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.
Gutter clearing and the biocide treatment are both included on every Stow roof clean. We're on the ladders for the slate anyway, and on a hilltop this exposed the biocide is what makes the clean last.
Wind-driven rain is a fact of life at 800 feet, and a gutter choked with moss sends it straight over the edge and down the wall — and, on the Square and Sheep Street, onto the pavement below. We clear them as we go. The biocide then keeps working on the slate well after we've packed up, keeping moss off for two years.
Get my Stow-on-the-Wold quoteExpect most Stow-on-the-Wold roof cleans to cost £550–£950. That covers the moss removal, the biocide and a free gutter clear; larger, steeper or harder-to-reach roofs cost more. A tall townhouse on the Square, with a shop below and stone slate above, is a different job from a bungalow on the edge of town, so we quote after a look rather than a phone call.
What moves the price:
Always included, never an add-on: a free gutter clear while we're up there, and the biocide that keeps moss off for two years.
How we quote: a free no-obligation survey, a written price the same day, no deposit, pay only when it's done. See our full roof cleaning cost guide → Also worth reading: 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 Stow-on-the-Wold 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.
Yes, provided nobody uses pressure on it. The stone slate around the Market Square, Sheep Street and Digbeth Street is porous limestone laid in graded courses on old timbers, and it splits if it's blasted. We scrape the moss off by hand from a roof ladder, then apply biocide. Concrete tile on newer houses at the edge of town can have a low-pressure clean where that suits; the biocide is what keeps both clean.
Height and exposure. Stow is the highest town in the Cotswolds, about 800 feet up on an open hilltop — hence the old saying, "Stow-on-the-Wold, where the wind blows cold." Cloud and damp sit over the town longer than in the valleys below, and the shaded sides of the Square and the narrow tures barely dry. Porous stone slate holds that moisture, and moss, lichen and algae do well on it.
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. On a hilltop with a long damp season that matters: a roof that's only been washed tends to go green again by the next winter, because the spores are still in the stone.
Yes, applied properly. We use an approved biocide at the maker's dilution, in dry weather, so it stays on the roof. Pets need to be kept in while we spray and for an hour afterwards. Window boxes and borders are covered and rinsed, and where gardens on the edge of town back onto fields we take care with run-off.
Yes. The town centre is a conservation area with many listed buildings, from St Edward's Church and St Edward's Hall to the cottages on Sheep Street, Park Street and Digbeth Street. We clean those roofs by hand and never use pressure, and we cover and rinse lime mortar and lead so biocide doesn't sit on them. Moss and algae removal doesn't normally need listed building consent; work on mortar, lead or slate fixings might, and we'll raise it at the survey so you can ask Cotswold District Council first.
Because once it's broken it has to be matched with reclaimed stone. The local conservation guidance expects original stone-slate roofs in Stow to be repaired like-for-like in Cotswold stone, not with artificial tile or blue slate. Pressure splits thin limestone slates, washes out the bedding and drives water under the laps. Hand removal and biocide take longer, but they leave the slate as it was.
We try not to. Stone slate and old clay crack underfoot, so most of the work is done from ladders and towers, and if we need to be on the pitch we use a roof ladder hooked over the ridge. On the tall townhouses around the Square we plan this at the survey, including where the ladders stand on the pavement.
Yes. We can price it from your photos and the survey, and book the work into a gap between guests or a week when the property is empty. On the Square that also means fitting around the shops, cafés and parked cars below, so we agree the timing and where the ladders go before the day. You don't need to be there; we can deal with you by phone and email throughout.
Longer life for the slate — moss keeps stone wet, frost on an exposed hilltop then does the damage, and replacement stone slate has to be reclaimed. Working gutters — moss washed off the roof blocks them, and the overflow runs down the wall and onto the pavement. Appearance — Stow depends on visitors and buyers who come for the stone, and a green roof undoes that. Cleaning costs far less than repairs.
Spring or early autumn if you can. The biocide needs a dry day or two to take, and up on the wold the damp season starts early and finishes late. We work all year, but at this height we pick our weather rather than treat a wet roof.
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
Townhouse on the Square or cottage in the Swells, the moss comes off by hand and the biocide and gutter clear are included. Fully insured; send the address for a written quote the same day.
