reach for the stars

Kath and Marco Walker had almost no relevant experience when they converted these two listed barns — one so derelict it had to be dismantled and rebuilt. But the final result is a pair of characterful and light-filled barns ideal for modern family living

for first-time renovators Kath and Marco Walker, the opportunity to buy and convert two adjoining barns a few metres from the tour operator business they run from a Herefordshire farmhouse was too good to miss.

One, a timber barn – which had originally housed cattle and sheep downstairs and human inhabitants in the hay loft upstairs – was so derelict that it was days away from collapse. The other barn was a single-storey timber and brick structure previously used to store grain. That had fared better but still needed extensive works to convert it into a home fit for 21st-century family living.

Both barns were Grade-II listed, so original features such as doors and openings had to be retained. And in theory, their listed status meant that neither could be demolished. But the older timber barn was so structurally unsound that the conservation officer gave almost unheard-of approval for it to be dismantled, provided as much as possible of the original oak frame was salvaged and reused in the building.

The couple turned to oak frame specialist Border Oak to carry out the delicate task of dismantling and rebuilding the timber barn to create a new open plan living/dining/kitchen space on the ground floor and bedrooms above. Working solidly on the project for two months in the company’s workshop, the carpenters managed to salvage around onethird of the original beams. “The team was amazing,” remembers Kath. “Each piece had to be taken apart like a Jenga game.”

Some of the timbers could be used structurally within the new timber frame while others, more damaged, could only be used for decorative purposes. Using highly skilled and labour-intensive techniques that the barns’ original carpenters would have recognised, the team carefully married the old timbers with new oak beams using scarf joints.

Work Begins on the Brick Barn

With works to the derelict timber barn well underway (and taking up around 70% of their £300,000 self-build mortgage), the couple could turn their attention to the second, attached, brick barn. This barn was in better shape, but needed new steel strengthening rods and timber supports to ensure its structural stability. The roof also needed completely re-tiling (the Walkers chose a mix of new and reclaimed tiles).

Downstairs, the brick barn houses the entrance hall, utility and one of the home’s five bedrooms. Upstairs, a bridge landing leads to two bedrooms for the couple’s young daughters — a feature suggested by architect George Clarke (the project featured on the TV show The Restoration Man) and the one that the couple are most pleased about. “The upstairs is practical and has a playful vibe with the bridge running from one girl’s bedroom to the other — it’s a brilliant idea,” says Kath.

Kath and Marco had originally appointed a local architect but took the brave decision to find another one mid-way through the project. “We’d always liked George Clarke and followed his programmes, so I thought I’d get in touch,” says Kath. As it happened, he was just about to start a new series and was enthusiastic about working on (and filming) the Walkers’ project.