feature staircase.”


It too a ull year to finally get the goahead for both the conversion and the extension, but for the Connells it was worth the wait. They started work in January 2019 – just weeks ahead of lockdown. As their contractual work slowed down as a result of the pandemic, Gareth redirected his team to the conversion which was completed in just seven months – even taking into account delays in the delivery of windows and roof slates.


They began by demolishing the cow shed and digging out the barn oor by 00 mm to increase the overall ceiling height. “Local farms took away most of the building materials from the cow shed, so there was very little waste,” said Gareth. More than 200 tons of muck and mud were


removed rom the barn oor  which had no footings – before the entire area was sealed with a damp proof membrane and covered with steel mesh encased in 100 mm of concrete. Spies were let in or fiing 00 mm thic steel cage internal retaining walls, which were built inside the stone wall exterior to create a secure inner casing.


A steel skeleton was then built to shore up


the roo while new first oor oists were bolted to the external walls, and timber frames constructed to create the internal walls downstairs. Some of the original roof trusses were retained, supplemented by new sections to run the full length of the barn, before the old corrugated iron roof could be replaced with slate and the supporting steels removed. he house was fitted with waterbased underoor heating and high spec insulation irst and second fies were completed relatively quickly, along with plastering and decoration. he ground oor includes large areas o polished concrete which took a week to complete, but is


54 www.sbhonline.co.uk


Some of the original roof trusses were retained, supplemented by new sections to run the full length of the barn


now one of the Connells’ favourite features in the house.


“The conversion was very straightforward, but it certainly helped to have a ready-made team of tradespeople to ensure everything ran smoothly,” said Gareth, whose background in plumbing came into its own during the build. “Although we didn’t include any eco-features – especially as we wanted to retain the barn’s historic character – we were respectful of its original structure and recycled everything we could.”


This included the building of the extension using materials salvaged from areas of the barn which were dismantled to create space for bi-fold doors and feature windows. The original stone at the front of the property was then cleaned and repointed with lime mortar, and damaged stones replaced with reclaimed ones, to give the old barn walls a new lease of life. All access to the back of the barn – including trafic caused by deliveries and building vans  was supported by the Church, who allowed the Connells to use a piece of wasteland that they


sep/oct 2022


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