Drone survey in Minehead

North Hill rises steeply straight behind the town, sheltering it from the south west but leaving it open to northerly weather off the Bristol Channel. More importantly, the hill produces strong downdraughts and eddies over the roofs immediately beneath it.

A downdraught pushes air onto a roof rather than across it, which loads a covering in an unusual direction and can lift material at points that would be safe in ordinary wind. Properties directly under the hill behave differently from those a few streets further out, which is worth knowing before comparing two repair histories.

The old harbour quarter has thatched and slate cottages and is picturesque enough to be well known. Thatch this close to the sea is a demanding maintenance proposition, and the ridge is always the first thing to go.

Photographs record the state of the ridge, the coatwork and the netting, and show the areas nobody can reach. A thatcher still makes the judgement about depth and remaining life, and the survey exists to point them at the right places.

Victorian and Edwardian resort villas and hotels, plus a very large holiday accommodation stock and post-war housing on the lower slopes, make up most of the town. Flat roofs on holiday accommodation are common.

For that stock the seasonal pattern applies as it does at Paignton and Bude: the useful survey happens before the season, when a finding can still be dealt with without losing bookings.

The hill dictates the flying as well as the weather. Approaches from the seaward side are open and straightforward, and approaches from the hill side need more care because of the terrain and the air moving over it.

The harbour, the quay and the West Somerset Railway are features to plan around, and the town has enough open ground that take off positions are rarely difficult.

The West Somerset Railway, the harbour and the quay give the town a working core alongside the holiday one, and the buildings that serve both have commercial roofs rather than domestic ones. Long spans, plant and flat areas that nobody sees are the usual features.

Timing is the local planning point. A TA24 town centre address is a great deal easier to work around in February than in August, and for anything close to the harbour or the front the sensible arrangement is early in the day or out of season.

For holiday accommodation owners the winter visit has a second advantage beyond convenience. A roof photographed in a quiet month, with the building empty, can be inspected thoroughly and written up without anybody having to work around guests.