A timeless extension for a Grade II-listed farmhouse

Lower Beech Farm is a charming grade II listed Oxfordshire residence, in which, like many heritage properties the kitchen was built to stay cool. As a result, there was minimal natural light and not a great deal of space.

In terms of layout, there was plenty of room for a cosy supper but not enough for a larger (post-Covid) gathering. The solution was to extend the garden-facing side of the kitchen by building out from an existing 1980s addition, providing a joining point for the new structure whilst minimising any complicated listed buildings hurdles.

The design concept from Morgan Architectural Designs was inspired by an existing curved stone feature wall, which became the line guide for the extension. The curved corner talks to the softly rounded thatch of the main house, which was thought to be built in the early 1600s.

The old plain-tiled roof of the later 18thC lean-to joins seamlessly into the new section, with matched tiles, brick plinth and plasterwork detailing. The new roofline breaks to reveal the first-floor windows above, mirroring the distinctive ‘broken hat’ style of the main thatch.

Our client is delighted with the finished project and as a result, so are the Barr Group team. We would love to return to Lower Beech Farm one day, to continue it's carefully considered architectural journey.

A few years ago the Oxford restauranteur Jon Ellse fed back to us “I judge the performance of my restaurants on whether people recommend to their friends and whether they return for more and I would apply both in the positive to the Barr Group”. Since then we have used the same principle in measuring our own performance, with a positive result we hope, in the case of Lower Beech Farm.