CHALLENGES At £2m, for the full renovation of the 540 m2 house (incorporating the former school house) and annex, The Old Vicarage’s budget was generous. However, there were some practical issues to overcome.
Sammy says that because most of his projects
are usually in London, his major challenge was to work out the logistics of remote working and establish trusting relationships with local building merchants and suppliers. “I’m very grateful to D.J. Giles, the salvage and reclamation company we found in nearby Stokenchurch,” he says. “They were so helpful when it came to finding things like chimney pots and roof tiles, which we would have found really difficult to source otherwise.” Although The Old Vicarage is not listed, its status as an excellent example of mid-Victorian ecclesiastical architecture brought its own challenges for Melinda and Chris. “We used our own moral compass with regards to maintaining likeness and replacing like for like,” says Melinda. There were also various tree preservation orders in the grounds to adhere to, plus the property stands in the picturesque hamlet of Highmoor Cross, in an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB); any alterations were expected to be sympathetic to the surroundings.
The house was built between 1857 and 1859 34
www.sbhonline.co.uk
“We are all comfortable working remotely with each other” – Stuart Hall, Colony Architects
as the vicarage for nearby St Paul’s church, with distinctive brick and flint elevations under a slate tile roof. Strong ecclesiastical influences remain, including gothic arches, leaded and stained glass windows, and the sign of the cross decorating some doors and joinery. A small village school was added to the vicarage in the 19th century, then in time, the school became part of the house. Melinda and Chris bought the property in 2015 and spent some months working on their ideas before the build began. The strong and good-humoured connection between client, architect and builder helped the project to run exactly (literally to the day) to schedule, taking a full year to complete. Melinda had worked with Sammy before, on
YOUR BEST BIT OF ADVICE ON RENOVATING?
“Plan. The devil is in the detail. Also,
communicate constantly with your architect and builders, and follow up their queries. And don’t forget to step back and enjoy the fact that your dream is being realised.”
issue 01 2021
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52 |
Page 53 |
Page 54 |
Page 55 |
Page 56 |
Page 57 |
Page 58 |
Page 59 |
Page 60 |
Page 61 |
Page 62 |
Page 63 |
Page 64 |
Page 65 |
Page 66 |
Page 67 |
Page 68 |
Page 69 |
Page 70 |
Page 71 |
Page 72 |
Page 73 |
Page 74 |
Page 75 |
Page 76 |
Page 77 |
Page 78 |
Page 79 |
Page 80 |
Page 81 |
Page 82 |
Page 83 |
Page 84
