An oak framed country estate blending Arts and Crafts heritage with modern living
How do you transform a modest 1930s Arts and Crafts house into a 15,000 square foot country estate without losing what made the original special? At this sensitively revived family estate in Leicestershire, the answer lies in evolving rather than replacing in a remarkable fusion of architecture, craftsmanship and landscape.
Project Details
- Leicestershire
- 2015
- over 15,000 sq ft
- Country Estate
- 6
A modern country estate rooted in collaboration
Set within 40 acres of gardens, woodland and countryside, Greenhill is one of our most significant homes, created in close collaboration between our founder, Tim Crump and one of our Architectural Designers, Pete Tonks and the original homeowners.
Their ambition was not to create a showpiece, but a home for everyday family life, entertaining and the next chapter of the property. The starting point was an existing house with a strong architectural identity and an established relationship with its landscape.
For designer Pete, the brief was clear from the beginning. “Our clients key message was about evolution, not revolution. How can we retain its character and how can we make it better?” This principle became the foundation for the entire project.
Understanding the character of Greenhill
When Pete first visited Greenhill, the property had already been through an alternative design process. A previous scheme had taken the house in a highly contemporary, almost brutalist direction. Instead, Pete saw an opportunity to work with its existing character.
The original building was a three-bedroom 1930s Arts and Crafts house with a distinctive turret and a collection of workshops and outbuildings that had accumulated over time. The house was listed as a Building of Interest and so Pete began by researching its history and studying its heritage report. He identified several qualities that needed to remain at the heart of the new design- from the long, linear ridgeline and its relationship with the surrounding landscape, to the natural material palette of stone, oak and slate.
Pete's response was not to try to recreate the original house, but to allow its architectural language to evolve.
"Site context is everything, especially for a country estate," says Pete. "It has to belong to that place and can only belong to that place. I wanted to amplify the language that already existed. Supersize it, but respect the original."Pete Tonks - Regional Architectural Designer
The planning permission process
The planning strategy was closely connected to Pete's understanding of the original property. "The homeowners had previously had a planning application almost refused. It tripled the size of the house in an opposite direction to the linear footprint," he explains.
The original house sat at the centre of a long sequence of additions, workshops and outbuildings. Pete took a different approach and retained the liner pattern that had developed across the site. Rather than erasing that history, Pete's new design continued the same pattern of development.
His good working relationship with the local planning officer helped establish an early dialogue about the proposal and the advice was clear. The new accommodation could be substantial in size, but it needed to remain subservient to the original dwelling.
"Working with the planning officer at the pre-application stage, we maintained the linear format and kept that concept as the design's identity," says Pete. It was recognised by the local authorities as being subservient to the original dwelling, even though on paper, it's much bigger, and so it secured planning really smoothly."Pete Tonks - Regional Architectural Designer
Choosing to build with oak
The owners had a real love of oak plus the original building had featured oak, so introducing a substantial oak frame felt like a natural progression. The oak frame was central to the design, creating a strong architectural feature throughout whilst gently connecting large living spaces.
Importantly, oak was not used everywhere. Some areas of the house have little or no exposed oak, allowing the oak frame to shine in spaces designed for the greatest impact.
At Greenhill, oak is used purposefully with thoughtful intent. It defines the major spaces, provides continuity between old and new and gives the largest volumes a sense of warmth without overwhelm.
"If you really want to get the best out of an oak frame," explains Tim, "you need to have a design team who understands that the whole scheme doesn't have to be all oak framed."Tim Crump - Oakwrights Founder
Internal key design features
The Grand Hall sits at the heart of the plan, providing the dramatic arrival space the homeowners wanted. "Its scissor trusses are impressive," says Tim. "The volume instantly gives you a feeling of what the whole estate is about when you look through the two-storey oak frame glazed gable at the formal gardens beyond."
From here, the accommodation extends into different wings with the Great Hall providing the central point of connection. "This is the arrival sequence for the house," explains Pete. "This is where friends, family, everybody comes into this space and it does its job very well, especially with the oak framing."
The scale of the hall could easily have made it feel cavernous. Instead, the exposed oak frame structure introduces texture and brings a feeling of intimacy to its living spaces "which is truly unique to oak framing," explains Pete.
External key design features
A concise choice of material for the exterior play an equally integral part in Greenhill's story. Mountsorrel stone quarried locally and local Swithland roof slate laid in the traditional diminishing style root the house in its Leicestershire setting, while the oak frame connects the new living areas with the historic character of the original building.
"The materials used include stone that was here before. When combined with an oak frame, you simply can't replicate this kind of character," says Tim. "These materials are fundamental architectural signatures for this area," explains Pete.
A bespoke design for family life
The homeowner's ambition was to build a home that brought people together. Their brief centred on generous entertaining spaces balanced with comfortable areas for everyday family life. The quieter, more private wing of the original house contains the kitchen, dining room and master suite, alongside a study within the turret, from which you can enjoy panoramic views across the estate.
"There are separate quieter spaces for the family to retreat but with fantastic entertaining spaces for them to come together," says Tim. "It feels like a very large farmhouse." Pete's meticulously planned layout supports modern family life without compromising on tranquility.
Spaces designed for entertaining
The new wing south off the Great Hall provides livelier spaces for family gathering, leisure and entertainment, including a swimming pool, sauna and gym in the basement, a cinema and games room on the ground floor, and their sons' bedrooms and guest accommodation above.
The outdoor kitchen and garden pavilion also reinforce the home's role as a place for gathering.
A wine store was another important part of the brief and it needed to be a significant feature within the house, fit for an enthusiastic wine collector. Pete positioned it perfectly between the kitchen in the original building and the Great Hall, with views across its formal gardens.
Evolving an architectural legacy
Perhaps Greenhill's greatest achievement is that its considerable scale doesn't define the experience of the house. "What I really enjoy is the way the sections of the house move out from the Grand Hall. It looks like an old historical manor house that has gently evolved over centuries," says Tim.
Pete's aim was never to create a palace. Instead, he wanted to create a home that felt warm, and welcoming despite being a sizable estate. That sense of evolution, architectural integrity and commitment to oak craftsmanship from the very beginning has allowed Greenhill to become something refreshingly new while remaining recognisably itself.
Recently, the opportunity to acquire Greenhill has arisen. Exclusively represented by REZIDE, you may contact them to request a private viewing.
