Beech Farm

Lincolnshire

The project involved the restoration of a 15th century building to its early mud and timber frame configuration, retaining as much as possible of the original structure

Before works began, the timber frame was surveyed and recorded, and samples taken to be dated. The samples showed considerable variation, giving dates between 1373 and 1685.

Modern family provisions were inserted into the building as unobtrusively as possible. The ground floor, consisting partly of 19th century quarry tiles was removed and replaced with a new floor that incorporated under floor heating in order to avoid the need for radiators. Boilers, washing machines etc were built into a suitably refurbished out-building in order to reduce their impact on the historic fabric. The modern corrugated iron roof was removed and the thatching restored, and the windows replaced with traditional oak frames.

Photo credits: Guy Taylor Associates + Richard Croft