RURAL LIFE IN AYRSHIRE
Next-door neighbours in Ayrshire have come together to accommodate the needs of a growing family to create a splendid rural home, says Kirsty Mcluckie
Built around 1860, High Wexford Cottage, near the conservation village of Symington in South Ayrshire, was originally two semi-detached properties.
Having been made into one home several years ago, the layout of the house was somewhat linear, as you would expect, but that has totally changed under the current owners, Alice and Andrew Vernon.
Alice says: “We bought it eight years ago, just before we got married, and we felt we needed to update it so we spent the best part of eight months upgrading before we moved in.
“We didn’t want to change anything about the character because it is such a pretty cottage and that is what we fell in love with. But it needed modernisation, it didn’t actually have central heating at the time, so it was definitely due.
“We tried to make sure to retain a real country feel, but make it more comfortable and better suited to a family home.”
The original cottages would have served nearby High Wexford Farm. The frontage has remained the same, and the accommodation is still all on one level.
But, from a straight line, the floor plan now resembles a capital J with a large extension at the the rear and to the side of the property.
Alice explains: “There was an old lean-to garage and a stable attached, which was replaced by the extension that houses a much bigger dining kitchen, the sitting room, the den and a laundry room.”
In the crook of the J is a newer addition. The garden room joins up the two sides of the building and Alice admits that creating it – which they completed a few years after the rest of the work – was more of a luxury rather than a necessity.
Folding, sliding glass doors glide back at both ends of the room to open up the centre of the house to the outside.
The stone walls, which once were external, have been left bare to beautiful effect.
The room leads to a sheltered paved area outside.
The extensions, which also added an ensuite bathroom to the master bedroom at the other end of the house, were built of co-ordinating timber and brick render and have been well insulated.
The whole house is now double glazed, while the traditional and characterful sash-and-case windows with polished brass fittings have been retained.
Dual-sided wood-burning stoves have been fitted in the drawing room and snug, and there are modern touches such as underfloor heating in the bathrooms.
Alice says that having never tackled anything like this before, the initial project was definitely one of blood, sweat and tears – possibly made a little more stressful as she was expecting at the time. The Vernons moved in and two weeks later she had her first baby boy.
They now have two, aged seven and five, and the renovated house makes for a perfect family home for the boys.
Alice says: “Our children are able to run wild, so they love the garden. They have a treehouse, which is referred to as the fort.
“We have worked really hard on the garden – Andrew loves mowing and I like planting, so we work well together.
“Because it is walled, you can grow almost anything in it and it is a sun trap, so if we have a moment to sit down, you can follow the sun with a chair.” There are some fine views from the house and the garden towards the Firth of Clyde and the island of Arran.
The Vernons both work in careers at the family firm. Alice is general manager at Hillhouse, a country estate and an exclusive-use venue just outside Troon, and Andrew is director of Hillhouse Quarry Group in the same town, so commuting has been very quick and easy.
Our children are able to run wild, so they love the garden. They have a treehouse, which is referred to as the fort
But High Wexford is also well placed for getting into Glasgow, which is roughly 40 minutes away, and it is very handy for Prestwick Airport.
The village of Symington, only half a mile away, is perfect for local shopping. Alice says it has a fantastic primary school and a great pub, a church, a park and a decent Co-op store – everything you would want on your doorstep.
The couple are selling their home in order to take on a fresh property challenge. Nevertheless, Alice says: “We’ve been so happy here and I really hope the next owners will enjoy it as much.”