The Barn is derelict and has suffered from the collapse of nearby buildings and neglect.   One wall of The Barn (West) has collapsed and the roof needs extensive repair.   The Barn has an entrance at the gable front end (South facing) and two windows on the same elevation, one on the ground floor and another on the first floor.   The majority of openings are on the East side overlooking the existing 1/3 acre paddock.   One first floor door and on the ground floor one window and a barn door (measuring 2 ½m x 2m) are the only openings on this side.   The Barn has one further opening in the form of a window on the 1st floor of the West elevation.

The Barn has views over the surrounding meadows and a 100 acre field to the West and North.

The Design

The concept of design for the Barn must always respect the Grade II Listing of the building and conserve all of the existing windows and doors in addition to the first floor beams and roof structure.   The style of windows and imposing architecture of this building has set the precedent for all of the other buildings in the courtyard and that precedent must be maintained.

The roof of the Barn will need to be completely rebuilt and the roof will have to be lifted and almost entirely replaced.   Great care must be taken in the repair of the roof and the four King Post trusses that form the primary roof structure will need to be sympathetically repaired and retained.   All of the work must be carried out by experienced and, if possible, local craftsmen.   Working with this type of construction requires techniques and experience that are not easily found and the stone that now constitutes the West wall will need to be removed one piece at a time during the demolition process and then replaced.

Living accommodation will need to be on the East of the building to take advantage of the available sunlight and existing openings.   The first floor will accommodate four bedrooms comfortably and it is desirable to maintain the feeling of height and space upstairs as well as down.   Roof lights on both the East & West pitch will brighten the available space from dawn till dusk.

The Barn's iron-stone walls will respond well to work and the red brick quoin's on the corners and around the window openings will be retained.   By using lime to point the walls and being careful not to overwork the brick repair this building will regain its soul and retain it's authority over the Thealby Grange Courtyard.

The Vision

The vision for the Barn is to restore the building structure to its former glory and restrain from over developing or over restoring the exterior.   The beauty of this building is in what is already there and what has been there in the past and any grand design will only detract from the structures impact.   The success of the exterior of this barn conversion will be true to the mantra "less is more".

Inside the barn is more versatile and offers all of the amenities and comforts that the 21 st Century demands.   The character and scale of a structure of this size cannot be fought against and so at times there is a stark and pleasing contrast between the original building and the modern additions.   The barn will be a substantial detached house with four bedrooms, massive lounge / dining, separate study and big garden.   The barn will present a modest frontage to the shared Courtyard but will retain a private entrance and most rooms will benefit from the privacy of outlooks onto the Barn's own gardens.

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The conservation roof lights extend the light penetrating the building until late evening and the garden remains in sunshine throughout the day.   A seating area has been placed outside of the kitchen doors and a buttress retained to afford privacy from the Dovecote.   The two gardens are separated by a 1m path that effectively distances the two gardens.

The barn can be approached from two different perspectives;   Parking has been provided to the front of the house with easy access to the front door.   Alternately the wrought iron gate down the side of the building allows private access to both the back doors and the fully glazed wall of the lounge.   It is from this East side that the true size of the Barn and the gardens can really be appreciated.

Through the front door the full height of the barn is apparent from the hall with electrically operated sky lights allowing sufficient ventilation and fresh air to wash through the open plan ground floor living space.   The hall has three doors 1) a downstairs WC 2) a coat cupboard and the third takes you through to the study.   The study over-looks the lawn of the courtyard.   This room is necessarily large to cope with the "work from home" lifestyle adopted by many today but it could equally be converted to a formal dining room.   The North wall of the study is double glazed by a tri folding door which can be fully opened to truly open the living space or closed and shuttered to create a snug, study or second TV room.

The hall opens up and leads you through a large aperture into the lounge.   Down two steps to a truly magnificent space with hardwood floors exposed beams and iron stone walls this room reflects the size of the original barn and exposes the structural bones of the house while at the same time creating a contemporary comfortable and bright central living space.   The lights in the lounge have a simple mood setting switch which allows an instant transition from one lighting scheme to another (from bright to TV to ambient to all off with one press of the button.   The barn doors from the lounge to the garden have been designed to open the entire side of the house.   The open plan design continues through to the kitchen and so out through another double sized, fully glazed aperture into the gardens.

From the hall look up to the exposed roof pitch and see the electrically operated roof lights.   Upstairs, the landing and central corridor are bright and the quality of the hardwood flooring will be appreciated by those looking for a truly excellent barn conversion.   The central corridor has been made deliberately wide without sacrificing bedroom space and feels like a room in its own right. Four bedrooms and a central bathroom have all been generously proportioned and all reflect the signature quality that the Thealby Grange Development is known for.   The bathroom is a triumph and with two electrically operated roof lights and a boutique hotel quality fittings make this room a truly luxurious retreat.

All of the bedrooms have vaulted ceilings and exposed beams and each one has generous windows and light.   The Master bedroom of course has an en-suite with contemporary shower, toilet and wash basin.