Dreadnought Tiles

A quality clay roof will add character and value to your home forever. Renowned for their strength and durability as well as their beautiful, natural colour range, Dreadnought Tiles have been made in the UK for the British climate since 1805.  

Dreadnought’s plain clay roof tiles are available in a range of finishes and natural clay colours, allowing you to achieve either the contemporary or traditional look that fits your dream house. Your roof is visible to the world, so take time to choose the right roof tiles.   

Clay materials can also bring warmth and character inside the home and Dreadnought will be showing their beautiful clay quarry tiles which can be used both internally and externally as they are frostproof.  Available in either a brick size, paver size or square, they work extremely well with Victorian restoration schemes, but they are equally suited for contemporary projects.

Traditional clay roof tiles in Staffordshire clay colours

At Dreadnought, we believe that you simply cannot beat the subtle beauty of our natural clay colours that will mellow and mature on your roof over time, blending in with their surroundings. They are the natural replacement tile for re-roofing and restoration projects, as well as adding distinction to more architectural looking modern self-build homes. They can be used for both roofing and tile hanging on walls.

Made from the same fine Etruria Marl clay for over 200 years, our roof tiles have the same shape and retain the same natural variation of tones as those made centuries ago.

We produce our colours in the traditional way purely from control of the kiln atmosphere and without the use of any additives, surface stains and artificial pigmentations.

The small size of our plain clay tiles, together with our wide range of matching fittings and ornamentals will allow you to create a roof that is truly individual.  You can choose from a variety of finishes to suit the style of property you are building.

Rustic clay roof tiles

Our  Rustic range of handcrafted plain clay roof tiles have a traditional rustic handmade aesthetic, designed to add character and value to both newbuild and historic roofs at considerably lower cost than new handmade or reclaimed tiles.

Manufactured to modern performance standards, this high specification range has an irregular sandfaced surface with natural mellow Staffordshire clay colours, which are achieved entirely through sophisticated kiln firing techniques without the use of any artificial additives or pigmentation.

The Rustic range offers selfbuilders and renovators a durable, sustainable, economical alternative to handmade clay roof tiles, which will give their properties a mature and established appearance that will blend in with most modern and traditional surroundings.

Lasting clay colours - For over 200 years, we have been making Staffordshire clay tiles at our Works in the Midlands.  Our authentic clay colours are derived from the mineral content within the Etruria Marl clay which reacts with the atmosphere in the kiln to produce colours with tonal variations which are natural and will not fade over time.

At Dreadnought we believe that the beauty of true clay colour produces a unique richness and character on the roof making a powerful statement of quality.

Modern performance standards - Our tiles are manufactured to exceed BS EN 1304:2013.    Freeze Thaw Standards require plain clay tiles used in the UK to withstand at least 150 freeze/thaw cycles under method E of European Standard EN 539-2:2013.  We regard this as too low for our climate and we therefore test ours to withstand at least 400 cycles.

Quarry Tiles

Made in the same factory as Dreadnought clay roof tiles, Ketley clay quarry tiles  have a naturally warm appearance, are low-maintenance, durable and versatile.  They are an excellent match to the old quarry tiles found in many parts of the UK but also work extremely well in contemporary properties.   

With excellent frost resistance and slip resistance (even when wet) they are suitable for hallways, kitchens, living areas as well as conservatories, patios and outdoor areas.  They can even be used in shower rooms and bath rooms.  

Ketley quarry tiles are available in 3 different size formats and a range of 6 natural clay colours allowing for a variety of laying patterns which can break up spaces and also unite indoor areas with outside spaces.