As their 18th-century weavers’ cottage in Bradford-on-Avon comes on to the market, conservation architect Harry Whittaker and his wife Rebecca, a relationship counsellor, reflect on their renovation and the impact it’s had on their lives. Check out the sales listing here. 

Harry: “Modern living to us is living in a house which flows from room to room and from the interior to the garden. It also means an easiness to living and, for me, my daily commute to work in Bath – an enjoyable ride through the Avon Valley – is part of it too.”

Rebecca: “We were renting a farmhouse near Chippenham before and were looking for a new home in this area. I think we fell for it straight away. We were looking for a ruin and this, perched up above the town, had all the elements we felt we could make into our ideal house.”

Harry: “It is a typical wool weavers house dating from the very end of the 18th century when the industry was changing from a purely cottage-based industry to larger purpose-made buildings. This is the reason for the large areas of fenestration on the town side, to provide light to the upper weaving looms.”

“We bought it in 2011 and started work on the refurbishment and extension straight away. We wanted to create a private, bright, and elegant home with a mix of traditional stonework, period features and modern touches.

“The creation of an inside/outside connection was a key element of our ideas. The kitchen is separated from a small leafy courtyard with a screen of Crittall-type glazing with double doors that are always open in the summer. The main garden facing the town wraps around the house and is laid out on a series of terraces for different spaces to eat and sit.”

“We opened up individual rooms on the ground floor, built a three-storey extension to provide good modern bathrooms and we have knocked two bedrooms into one on the top floor to provide a master suite with fantastic views out over the town.

“We have used natural timber flooring, painted softwood panelling, traditional painted sash windows together with Crittall-type glazing and, in the wet areas, Italian Carrara marble. In the kitchen we have a sink cut from a single block of marble which, together with a slab reclaimed from an old fish shop, works well with the vintage marble flooring and painted finishes.

“I think a good interior should make you feel immediately at home, it should make you feel at ease and be welcoming to friends and family. Here, we have a mixture of things from a number of different sources which we have gathered up over the years. 

“We tend to collect architectural salvage and then sometimes find a place for it. We look for things which will work well in certain spaces, to do with scale, colour and interest.”

Rebecca: “Now, with the inside/outside connection, we are more affected by the seasons and the length of the English summers. At this time of year we have the doors open and sit out in the courtyard, then come winter we tend to gather in the sitting room with a log fire burning most evenings.”

“We love its location sitting high above this beautiful little town with views out across the river. At this time of year we have the swifts flying and nesting up under the eaves and we can wander down the steps to the local restaurants and pubs in the town.

“We like to walk and cycle along the canal towpath, which takes us straight from here to Bath – an hour’s cycle in the summer through the beautiful valley. And we can walk out of the house and be in countryside in five minutes, with nearby woods a few hundred yards away.”

Harry: “We finished all that we planned here and are ready to move onto our next project. We have seen a house which is a similar period to this, with three greenhouses and a barn, which we think we can adapt to suit our needs.

 “I think we will miss most things as we have made this house for ourselves and love its position and location. But it’s exciting to have the opportunity to do it all again!”