PROPERTY CONVERTED SCHOOLHOUSE
A sensitive renovation of a former schoolhouse has returned it to its Victorian Gothic glory, incorporating luxe finishes and tech for a stunning mix of old and new
The fact that it was Grade II-listed almost put off the new owners of the former village school in Eccleshall, Staffordshire. They had no experience of property renovation, having previously lived in an apartment in Manchester city centre.
Its heritage, however, enchanted them. Not only had the Church of England school – built in 1862 by architect GE Street – once entertained the locals as a cinema and community centre, it also had featured its own indoor swimming pool, added in the late 1970s.
The owners, who have two young children, spent almost two years living in the Victorian Gothic building before forming their plans for improvement. The potential was clear; the high ceilings, interesting original features and generous living space offered plenty of scope for a contemporary five-bedroom family home.
As well as being Grade II-listed, the former school stands within a conservation area as it’s within a mile of Eccleshall Castle, a William and Mary mansion house built in 1695 on the site of a medieval fortification. The owners have gathered information about its past, discovering the location of the original outside toilets, and that the building’s original bricks were made in a nearby coppice.
‘Our aim was to provide a luxurious, open-plan living space with crisp, modern finishes set within the Victorian Gothic style,’ says Dave Wood, an architectural technologist at project architects Tarpey Woodfine, based in Newcastle-under-Lyme.
To achieve this on a budget of just under £400,000 required serious attention to detail as well as the services of a dedicated and imaginative building company. That’s why Jim Hadfield of AJ Field Developments has won a 2019 regional Federation of Master Builders’ (FMB) heritage award for his work on the renovation, singled out by the judges for its ‘exceptional quality of workmanship’.
The conservation officer noted that he was pleased the owners wished to take elements of the building back to the way it would have once looked. While much remedial work was carried out inside, including painstakingly stripping back layers
In a stark contrast to the Victorian Gothic features, the couple have chosen a sleek and contemporary monochrome interior
of paint from the stonework and pitch pine beams, the major addition to the existing building was a new extension.
This has helped form a spacious kitchen and living area that’s flooded with natural light. An ambitious corner-less folding door system opens up the space onto a terrace, sheltered by a dramatic overhanging roof, the creation of which involved removing a lean-to kitchen. One conservation officer said it wouldn’t be possible but, although there was some debate, the demolition went ahead with all parties in agreement.
‘One of the stand-out features for me is the glass balustrade balcony that leads up to the roof,’ says Jim. ‘I like it because it’s all about old and new. It lets you see the old work above and you can look down to the pool beneath and the cinema area, where you can see through to the projection screen that drops from the beams.’
Further contemporary touches include polished-concrete floors and ultra-modern smart-home and audio-visual systems, which have been fitted with the aim of future-proofing the property. ‘It was October 2017 when we started the work,’ says
Jim. ‘But the programme was planned around quite a big milestone – it had to be completed for a 40th birthday/house warming party the following May. And we did it! On the Friday as we finished, the caterers, band and guests were arriving.
And yes, we did get invited to the party!’
For more information, go to ajfield.co.uk and tarpey-woodfine.com