Barnhill

Type: Residential Property Renovation/Restoration Location: Brampford Speke, Exeter

Barnhill is an impressive substantial period property featured on the BBC 2 television program “Restoration Home”. The original building was constructed in cob and has been extended and modified over the years to create the current gothic façade with arched windows, doors, castellation’s and a glazed cupola, as can be seen from the photographs.

Our client purchased this property without a survey and we were appointed to carry out a full assessment of the building and to provide full structural engineering services for refurbishment, alterations and extensions. The property was seriously dilapidated and unfortunately badly affected by dry rot, seriously decayed timber and deteriorating cob due to long term water ingress and neglect.

Parts of the structure were very poorly constructed, in particular the east wing of the building which had partly collapsed and the tower with the glazed cupola above. The cupola is one of the most interesting and important features of the property which had to be fully reinstated and the tower stabilised. We designed a scheme to cost effectively strengthen the tower and to provide enhanced support to the cupola structure.

Substantial structural repairs were undertaken under our direction, including cob walls, foundations, roof timbers and floors. Design was provided for structural framing to facilitate the removal of walls and alterations to the structure. The work also involved converting the existing extensive loft space.

The renovation of the building was to a very high standard, requiring structural design to be well thought out in order to integrate with high quality architectural features of this building.