Redfold Farm

Redfold Farm: Renovation and conversion of barn and outbuildings

When it came to choosing a building company to sensitively renovate an historic barn and adjoining outbuildings at their West Sussex farm, Charles and Wendy Outhwaite refused to settle for second best. Having secured the purchase of Redfold Farm plus its accompanying 40 acres of land in 2006, the Outhwaites turned their attention to redeveloping the crumbling barn, located close to the farmhouse.

Wendy explains: “We wanted to create a multi-functional property to entertain and accommodate guests. Other requirements included a high-tech contemporary kitchen plus two en-suite bedrooms.”

Keen to breathe new life into the building, the couple were conscious of retaining the barn’s charm and character. They were determined to blend both the state-of-the-art and traditional elements seamlessly together. The barn originally had planning permission for a four-bedroom house but they needed to create a building that was more sympathetic to the original agricultural structure.

Having taken advice from an expert at the Weald & Downland Open Air Museum, the Outhwaites discovered that the building was much older than they’d initially thought, dating back to at least the early 1800s. They wanted to preserve as much character as possible and have builders who would go the extra mile to restore and convert the barn to their expectations. Steering clear of any ‘Olde worlde’ pastiche, they’ve created something that’s both imaginative and striking.

Wendy adds: “The Martin Sewell Building Company was recommended to us and, having spent an afternoon with Martin and his foreman, we felt confident that they would deliver.”

Due to outstanding craftsmanship, communication and co-operation between the Outhwaites and the builders, the end result is an innovative carefully crafted space and a fabulous restoration that the couple are enormously proud of.

Work began in June 2011, and went smoothly, finishing in May 2012.

“We enjoyed working with Martin and his team of craftsmen who interpreted our vision with skill and elan under the guidance of his superb site manager, Bill Musa. It was a technically challenging project particularly with the combination of glass and oak and where the inevitable issues arose – these were dealt with efficiently and imaginatively by Bill. The team was always courteous and cheerful and we were almost sorry to see them finish!”

Charles and Wendy Outhwaite