Set overlooking a South Cambridgeshire village green, this grade 2 listed Victorian farmhouse, with adjoining barns, had suffered from decades of neglect and a sequence of insensitive alterations. The challenge was to restore the historical character of the listed building while creating a beautiful and functional family home that met the requirements of 21st-century living.

 

Before the works, the farmhouse comprised a warren-like layout with only the main hallway and front-facing principal rooms remaining in their original form. Externally, the appearance was tired, and although its principal elevation retained its grand front door and classic symmetrical form, it no longer functioned as the primary entrance, which had been relocated to the west side. To the rear, a two-story 20th-century rear extension overwhelmed the original house and blocked any potential connection to the gardens

 

Informed by a thorough examination of the building’s history and its original 19th-century layout, a considered approach was adopted that retained and restored the hierarchy of the original rooms, with the addition of a sympathetic rear extension and orangery to provide space for the family’s modern living requirements. The proposal focused on preserving valuable historic features, exemplified by the reinstatement of the original entrance and hallway. The subsequent layout allows light and views directly through the property to create important visual links between the historic house, the new extension, and the surrounding context.

 

Vernacular materials, traditional proportions, and appropriate architectural detailing are used throughout to create harmony between the new additions and the original building. The result is a beautifully restored listed farmhouse that benefits from a high-quality, subservient extension with all the provisions required by a modern family to ensure the long-term future of the heritage asset.