Historic National Trust estate forced to change lead roof after it is repeatedly stolen

A National Trust estate in Newport has been forced to change the material of its roof after repeatedly being targetted by thieves.

The Grade II listed Tredegar House was told it could no longer claim insurance payouts for thefts of its roof if it kept using the same lead material.

The lead used on the 17th century mansion has been stolen twice before.

The expensive metal is due to be replaced with a material similar in appearance so the look of the historic building is not changed. Although there are fears that if the substitute looks too convincing, it may end up being stolen yet again.

The almost 350-year-old estate in Gwent had to receive special permission from heritage protection organisation, Cadw, to change the roof material.

An assessment carried out by Cadw said: "Tredegar House has suffered a series of metal theft incidences over the past couple of years.

"No sooner has the lead been reinstated and paid for by the insurers, and the lead has been stolen again.

"The lead has now been stolen twice and the insurers will not pay out again if the repairs are carried out using 'traditional lead'."

The substitute will look similar to the traditional lead so the appearance of the listed building will not be altered dramatically.

In their assessment, Cadw added: "The dilemma is that a replacement material will need to look like lead so that it does not stand out and be at odds with the historic character of the building.

"However, if it is a very good match, it may fool the thief into thinking it is the real thing."

Tredegar House was built in 1672 and was home to a wealthy and influential Welsh family - the Morgans, who later became the Tredegars. The red brick house sits within 90 acres of land and is currently still closed to the public after shutting when lockdown was introduced.