Abrahams Farm is a Grade II listed farmhouse of fifteenth century origins. Our client bought the house in the 2000’s and, having started a family, identified a need for more bedrooms, a larger kitchen and a more welcoming entrance.
We have added an extension on the east side, with a room in the roof accessed by a separate staircase. The poorly built modern existing extension to the west was reconstructed slightly bigger to house the kitchen. Other alterations include a new porch, new chimney stacks above roof level and a rebuilt brick and flint garden wall.
The works were carried out by MD Mills (Building Contractors) Ltd. www.mdmills.co.uk

Church Cottages originated as a sixteenth century two storey house and has a later eighteenth century extension. Our clients wanted an open and inviting entrance with ample room and storage for boots and coats, a larger kitchen and utility room, together with an enhanced ability to appreciate the beautiful views across the garden to the river Chelmer to the south.
Our solution was to replace a small summer house with a single storey extension to give an entrance dining hall and new utility room. This enabled the kitchen to expand to fill the existing later wing and open out to the new dining hall. A first floor gallery was introduced across the hall, allowing the light from conservation rooflights to fill the hall below. This gives access to a small guest bedroom in the roof space above the utility room.
The work was carried out by New England Building Services Ltd. www.newenglandbuildingservices.co.uk

The project was given Highly Commended in the Design category of the Maldon District Conservation & Design Awards Scheme 2017.

Mill House is a Grade II listed two phase house built in the early and late eighteenth century. The formal brick frontage of both halves belies the informality of the rear aspect, which was prevented from having any connection to the beautiful gardens by a brick store constructed in the mid twentieth century. The main focus was to increase the connection of the house to the gardens and to create an improved flow between the two halves of the house, which had a single interconnecting doorway between them.
The store was removed and a brick kitchen extension was added to a later nineteenth century phase of the house. A small lean to extension on the rear elevation of the house was removed and an enlarged catslide lean-to provides a link between the two phases of the house. It also allows additional light into the main room and double doors stepping out onto the rear patio connect the living space to the garden.
The kitchen fittings were designed by Henry Gordon Jones and made by Murdoch Joinery. The main contractor was Cadman Construction Ltd. www.cadmangroup.co.uk

The project won the Design category of the Maldon District Conservation & Design Awards Scheme 2018.

Bullocks Cross Farmhouse is part of a small farmstead north of Coggeshall, belonging to the Marks Hall Estate www.markshall.org.uk

It is a Grade II listed late 16th century oak framed and lime plastered house. Only the cross wing remains of what was once a much larger hall house.

When we first looked at the house in 2012 it was in very poor condition and had been empty for some time. It took a little while to gather the funds and obtain all the necessary consents, but eventually refurbishment started in May 2014 and finished in January 2015.

The old house has been fully repaired and refurbished using traditional materials, with judicious use of modern insulations to improve the thermal performance of the fabric.The house was linked to an existing brick outbuilding to provide a new utility room and back hall, and a new kitchen and bathrooms fitted. The two existing attic rooms were brought back into use and a new staircase inserted to improve access to this floor. The house is retained by the Estate and let as a family home, with four bedrooms, a family bathroom and master bedroom ensuite.

The work was carried out to a very high standard by New England Building Services Ltd www.newenglandbuildingservices.co.uk

The threshing barn and cartlodge at Shrub’s Farm www.shrubsfarm.co.uk were repaired in the 1980s when the present owner, Mr. Robert Erith, embarked on a project to rescue and restore the farm, which had fallen into disrepair. At that time, the wall frame was repaired and the plinth partially rebuilt, and the barn was clad in new softwood featheredge weatherboarding. As a result, the main fabric of the barn was in good order, but the corrugated asbestos sheet roof covering over the main barn and cartlodge was not. This roof covering replaced the original thatch in the 1950s and was reaching the end of its life.

Historic research together with close examination of the frame carpentry established that the barn has an 18th century historic core, and was elongated at both ends during the 19th century. Documentary evidence shows that the original farmstead dates back at least to the 1600s and possibly earlier. Although it is not listed, the barn is equal to similar Grade II listed barns nearby and is therefore of similar national historic significance.

Photographic and archaeological evidence showed that the farm buildings were originally thatched and, as part of the farm’s HLS scheme, Natural England provided funding for the project.

The work was carried by R & J Hogg www.hoggbuilders.co.uk and the thatching was by Clive Dodson www.dodsonthatching.co.uk

This Grade II listed early 19th century timber framed barn has been converted into a dwelling. Being able to house part of the accommodation in the already converted adjoining buildings meant that the interior of the barn could be kept open across three bays, and so retain its original character. Completed in Spring 2012, the project won the design section of the Maldon District Council Conservation and Design Award 2012.

The farmstead at Mill Farm has a collection of agricultural outbuildings together with a 17th century Suffolk farmhouse. The outbuildings were derelict and the Grade II listed house in very poor condition when the new, private owners bought the farm in 2002. We started with the house, and unsympathetic modern extensions were demolished, the structure repaired and restored, and new extensions added during works completed in 2004.

The Granary is a grade II listed building and is part of the main farmyard to the west of the grade II listed Farmhouse.

The building was identified for funding by Defra’s Higher Level Stewardship (HLS) scheme administered by Natural England and forms one element of the HLS agreement at Tey Brook Farm. Our brief was to:

• Record and understand what the building is currently valued for, so its historic fabric and other significant values can be accounted for in any grant-funded work
• Identify and agree a suitable Repair Strategy
• Undertake all essential surveys
• Provide a full Specification and Schedule of works for those repairs
• Administer a building contract

The building had subsided considerably to the west and north and was in urgent need of realignment and repair. According to the structural appraisal, the movement appeared to have been caused by a decayed soleplate at the west elevation and the decayed storey post foot at the north-west corner in connection with insufficient bracing of the structure.

Historic research together with close examination of the frame carpentry supports an earlier report prepared by Richard Shackle that the Granary is a 16th century building, formerly of high status, that had been moved to this site from elsewhere. It appears that the building is truncated and that the remainder of the building extended from the north gable. Further research is appended to this report that suggests that the Granary could once have been part of the Guildhall in Great Tey.

Since its re-erection in the yard of Tey Brook Farm, the building had been put to use as a malting, granary, pigeon loft, apple store and, finally, general storage.

The Granary was physically lifted and supported on ladder beams whilst the sole plates, brick plinth and footings were rebuilt, then carefully lowered onto its new base and the substantial oak frame repaired and strengthened. We worked together with the structural engineers The Morton Partnership Ltd www.themortonpartnership.co.uk and the repairs were carried out by the excellent R & J Hogg www.hoggbuilders.co.uk Works were completed in October 2013.

New studio in garden of listed house