Kestle Cottage

Kestle Barton

Kestle Cottage was part of the farm houses that were linked to Kestle Barton Farm. It was a four bedroom cottage that our client wished to convert into a 2 bedroom cottage and 1 bedroom cottage with a separate studio and crafts workshop. Over the decades Kestle Cottage has undergone many changes in order to improve and modernise the building in keeping with current trends. It was these modern changes that our client wished to remove, keeping as much of the existing character as possible.

The main body of the building needed upgrading to comply with today’s building regulations, this consisted of strengthening and adding new floor joists, lintels, extra collar ties the roof trusses and filling and tying any cracks to the stone walls.

To change the use of the cottage we built a new fire break wall that went from the ground level up to the slates on the roof. All of the concrete to the ground floor was replaced with new concrete, DPM insulation and underfloor heating. The walls had new lime plaster and lime skim to match the existing fabrics of the building and the existing bathroom and kitchen were removed and replaced with new that were more in keeping with the character of the building. We used reclaimed floor boards on the first floor and new flooring to some areas of the ground floor. Some of the existing features have been restored to keep the character and charm of the building.

To the exterior of the building some roof areas were replaced with conservation roof lights, areas of pointing replaced, gravel paths, a slabbed patio area and the gardens were laid to lawn. The heating for the building is via a wood pellet boiler located away from the cottages in its own timber building specifically constructed.

This project was a credit to all that worked on it, the quality of the finished product was outstanding. The work was carried out so sympathetically that you could believe the building was in its original form.