Ochre Barn
Walpole St. Peter, Norfolk

SOLD

Architect: Turner.Works

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Ochre Barn is a vast brick and pantile Victorian threshing barn transformed by the architect Carl Turner into a magnificent living space. The main barn (506 sq m) is accompanied by a smaller studio building designed by Turner, both being situated on a rural two-acre plot on the Norfolk / Cambridgeshire / Lincolnshire border. Located close to the village of Walpole St. Peter, the property can be reached from London in under two hours.

The main barn is arranged with an impressive living / dining / kitchen space occupying the primary part of the building, and a side wing accommodating five bedrooms and three bathrooms. Turner has designed the central area so that none of the impact of the original space is lost. The sheer volume of the room is breathtaking, being reminiscent not only of a barn but also an ecclesiastical building or art gallery. To bring some intimacy and scale to the space, Turner has created a number of sculptural furniture pieces to define and divide the space. Perhaps most notable is the bespoke kitchen, created largely from OSB, a type of wood that Turner chose as an echo of the hay stacks that would have originally filled the space. Other materials used include polished concrete for the floors and resin-coated plywood. Also situated in the main space is a free-standing double-height utility unit housing a bathroom, utility room and, on top, a study area.

The bedroom wing incorporates five good-sized bedrooms. The main bedroom has an en-suite bathroom, a dressing area and a wood-burning stove, and space for a sofa. The second bedroom also has an en-suite bathroom. All bedrooms feature floor-to-ceiling glazing looking onto the garden, paddock and farmland beyond. The studio building, named the ‘Stealth Barn’, has a bedroom area, bathroom and kitchen / living space. It has extensive glazing that gives wonderful views of the local landscape and the huge skies for which this area is renowned. The outside space incorporates a large parking area, a wildflower meadow, a landscaped courtyard, a further formal garden area and a large paddock.

Carl Turner is an acclaimed architect with his own practice based in London. Specialising in residential projects, his work has featured in numerous publications including Wallpaper*, Blueprint, the Architects’ Journal and the Financial Times. For more on Carl Turner and on Ochre Barn, please see the History section.

Walpole St. Peter is a village in the Fenlands most famous for its Grade I-listed late medieval church, which is said to be one of the finest in the UK and is known as the ‘Cathedral of the Fens’. The nearest town is Wisbech, described by the renowned architectural historian Nikolaus Pevsner as having “one of the most perfect Georgian streets in England” and described recently in The Guardian’s ‘Let’s Move To’ section with the words “Wowser. What a find Wisbech is!” (article by Tom Dyckhoff: 14/5/11). The landscape of the Fens is one of the most distinctive and atmospheric in Britain, being most notable for the amazing skies.

Local services include a village shop in nearby Terrington St John, as well as numerous local farmers selling fresh vegetables, fruit etc. directly from their farms. Wisbech has a number of supermarkets, with a wider choice of shops and restaurants, a cinema and an arts centre in Kings Lynn (eight miles away). Kings Lynn also has a train station which runs services to London King’s Cross in 1hr 45mins.

The celebrated beaches of the north Norfolk coast, as well as the numerous restaurants and shops for which the area is known, can be reached by car in 30 – 60 minutes (depending on where along the coast you are heading).

Please note that all areas, measurements and distances given in these particulars are approximate and rounded. The text, photographs and floor plans are for general guidance only. The Modern House has not tested any services, appliances or specific fittings — prospective purchasers are advised to inspect the property themselves. All fixtures, fittings and furniture not specifically itemised within these particulars are deemed removable by the vendor.


History

Carl Turner established his eponymous practice in 2007, but his experience with contemporary residential projects goes back some years before that with his acclaimed work with Turner Castle Architects.

Turner has been involved in the design of numerous celebrated houses for notable clients, most recently Frame House, a residence in south London that has been widely published in the architectural press. Frequently referred to as one of the UK’s best young practices, Carl Turner Architects (CTA) have made residential work a particular focus of their output.

Turner’s approach is to create pragmatic but beautiful architecture that uses light and material texture to provide engaging and uplifting spaces. It is also significant that he was at the vanguard of the recent trend towards architects not only designing but building as well. CTA work frequently as a contractor, meaning that Turner has innate understanding of the practical issues of building, as well as the more poetic ones.

At Ochre Barn, in particular, Turner has not only overseen the design but also the building work, leading to a residence of real quality throughout.

Ochre Barn recently featured in the Telegraph Magazine in an article by Dominic Bradbury. In it, Turner made the following comments on his experience of the house:

“Space is the most luxurious quality of the barn. The sheer volume creates an amazing sense of calm.”

“I really like some of the quieter bedroom spaces. The two adjoining bedrooms, one with only skylights, are very serene; something to do with the proportions.”

“The Fens have amazing skies. Sunsets are spectacular, and the nights reveal stellar arrays… you notice the seasons in a way that you never can in a city.”

“We have treated the large open-plan spaces as if they were an exterior landscape and use the furniture and the pods as if they were buildings within landscape. These help to define different areas.”

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