T
he Lincolnshire Wolds may not have the same star power as the Cotswolds, but don’t let that fool you; they have their own quiet magic. Think fewer tourists and a gentler kind of beauty that sneaks up on you. A limestone landscape shaped by ancient glaciers, the Wolds offer lush valleys, ancient woodlands, and picturesque villages. So, when Jason and Rachel saw a former rectory set in eight quiet acres here, “we immediately saw the potential,” explains Rachel. “We knew we could make it into the house of our dreams.” The setting of the property cannot be faulted. Located next to the long distance walking path known as The Viking Way, the rectory ticks every rural dream; a wooded spinney, paddocks, mature gardens, and a pond, fi lled with wildlife. Yet the age of the home was uncertain, with several later additions, and there is some evidence it was rebuilt by the RAF after a plane crashed into it during the war. “We knew we wanted to make changes, but we weren’t sure what they would be,” recalls Jason. The couple, who are now retired from careers in IT, are both “fans of contemporary style, yet they had no fi xed ideas when they met with local architecture practice ID Architecture. “We found them on social media, and we liked their style; minimalist, open spaces, lots of glass,” says Jason. “We only spoke to them, out of four or fi ve choices. The project focused on reworking the layout and extending the home in a way that respected the setting while improving function and fl ow. The design added a second storey to an existing side extension, featuring vertical timber cladding in contrast to the original red brick. The removal of an unattractive uPVC conservatory
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“We knew we could make it into the house of our dreams.”
allowed the kitchen to open into the garden, while an underused sitting room was upgraded and partially rebuilt with insulation and garden access. Upstairs in the two storey extension, the vaulted master bedroom and ensuite are positioned to take in views of the gardens, with cantilevered windows and integrated solar shading designed to enhance both privacy and thermal performance. “We were blown away by ID Architecture. Their design was ten times better than what we had thought of,” says Rachel. “Especially our palatial master suite!” Contrary to what might be expected in such a rural setting, planning permission for the changes passed without any issues. “We didn’t change the footprint, we just went up,” explains Jason. “It didn’t affect anyone.” However, Jason and Rachel delayed the start of the project, as when they put the project out to tender in August , Covid-related infl ation had raised prices signifi cantly. By , however, they realised their architect was right when he pointed out that prices seldom go down. Biting the bullet, Jason and Rachel started work in April on a fi xed price contract with Belvin Construction. Although the couple remained living onsite during the project, they don’t regret that decision. It was diffi cult occasionally, especially with water and electricity going off,”
LOW POINT
Delaying the project by a year in the hope that post-Covid price infl ation would come down.
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