It was pretty impressive to look at an intact roof from the 1200s. 

I recently spent two weeks visiting London. It was my first trip to Europe. As I took in the sights and toured the centuries-old castles, churches and buildings that seem to be everywhere in the United Kingdom, I thought of metal roofing expert Rob Haddock.

The president of Metal Roof Advisory Group in Colorado Springs, Colo.,  I have seem him give many presentations on the history of metal roofing at conventions such as Metalcon and the International Roofing Expo.

As part of his popular "Metal Roofing 101," seminar, he presents a slide-show of metal roofs from Europe, usually sitting on top of 500-year-old churches or forming the gutters of 800-year-old castles.

Seeing this impressive craftsmanship in person, I was somewhat in awe of this work, especially when you compare it to our "disposable" society today. They really don't build them that anymore.