A derelict stone barn, with a coffin-sized hole in the floor, was a bit more of a project than Jane and Colin Brownrigg planned to take on. And yet something about the building’s situation in the landscape felt special, says Jane. ‘It was a unique place, with amazing views in every direction – even so, the scale of the project was terrifying!’
The barn lies on the fringes of one of Dorset’s most picturesque villages, which is built around an ancient abbey, and it transpired that the alarming hole in the floor wasn’t from an exhumed corpse, but the remnants of an archaeological excavation.
A row of loose box stables adjacent to the barn, built by a previous owner, were quickly converted into temporary living accommodation so the couple could live on site during the renovations on the barn. These days, the space comes in handy when family comes to stay, says Jane. ‘We also use it as holiday accommodation, so visitors can enjoy this lovely part of the country.’
The couple wanted their new home to be as environmentally friendly as possible, so they installed a ground-source heating system, as well as their own water supply. ‘But there were months when I looked out over a sea of mud, portaloos, skips and builders’ vans and thought, “What have we done?”’ Jane recalls.
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When it came to the internal configuration of the rooms, they had a clear vision. ‘We wanted to have a sense of drama in the conversion: the barn has an amazing roof structure, with beams that date to 1350. Rather than lose their impact by putting in a second floor, we kept the space open at the kitchen end as well as the dining area. So there’s a wow factor when you walk in.’
Light was a major consideration. The barn was built on a cruciform plan, with projections facing east and west. When the couple bought the building, the west-facing projection had long since disappeared. Rather than replace it with a pastiche of medieval stone, they rebuilt in a bold modern style, with a copper roof and glass atrium that floods the core of the building with light.
The open-plan living space is divided into an entrance area, sitting area and dining area, using rugs to define each zone, and furnished in a mix of styles and periods. Provincial antiques, such as an oak marriage chest that is carved with tulips, and dated 1705, are juxtaposed with modern pieces, as well as some inherited items and other favourites they can’t bear to part with.
‘The furniture and pictures tell the story of our lives together, and every piece holds memories for us. Even so, we love going to local salerooms and adding new elements to the interior. Most things come from Duke’s or Lawrences of Crewkerne. The antiques centre in Sherborne is another great source of finds.’ A favourite recent acquisition is a sculpture of The Eagle Slayer by John Bell, a version of which was shown at the Great Exhibition in 1851. ‘Interestingly, it’s made from patinated cast iron, a material not previously used for sculpture,’ says Jane.
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The high ceilings in the kitchen area lent themselves to display, and Jane uses the wall cupboards for an assortment of blue-and-white ceramics. ‘Before we moved here, I already had a collection of blue-and-white delftware, so I have built on this, mixing in the odd modern Chinese blue-and-white pot as a filler here and there.’
The theme is echoed in the fireplace, which was locally made and lined with antique blue-and-white Delft tiles. ‘Most I bought online, from Martyn Edgell, a Delft specialist. Interspersed are plain tiles from Fired Earth in three different shades of white, to give an uneven, rustic look.’
The double-height walls provide huge spaces for displaying art. Fortunately, collecting pictures has always been a passion of Jane and Colin’s. ‘We have very different tastes – he tends to go for modern artists such as Joe Tilson, John Hoyland and Albert Irvin.
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I used to work as an Old Master Paintings valuer and cataloguer at Bonhams,’ says Jane. The 18th-century picture of Aurora and Tithonus, which hangs over the fireplace, was bought in the first sale she catalogued at Bonhams in the 1980s. ‘Weirdly, it came from a house in Dorset.’
Beyond the open-plan living area, there’s a snug, boot room, children’s bedroom and cloakroom, with an inner hallway leading up to the main bedroom, guest bedroom and bathroom. ‘The sloping ceilings and original beams upstairs give the bedrooms the feeling of sleeping in a ship,’ says Jane.
When the couple bought the barn, they believed it dated from the 15th century. However, since moving in, Oxford University academics have undertaken research into the abbey and the local area, including the barn. ‘There’s a compelling argument that the building may date from Saxon times and once served as a hall and guest house for pilgrims to the abbey. Research is ongoing, but if that’s the case, it’s amazing to think we are living in one of the oldest surviving domestic buildings in the country.’
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