- Nestled in a picturesque Welsh valley next to the river Edw is this charming cottage and barn outbuilding, which is thought to have begun its life as a smugglers hideout. The brief was to demolish deteriorating later additions to the cottage and fully refurbish the original structure, introducing new extensions to create a welcoming weekend getaway for our Client.
- Client: Private
- Status: Completed, 2012
- Location: Aberedw, Wales
- Value: £250k
- Contractor: J Osborne Builders Ltd
- Structural Engineer: Clarke, Nicholls & Marcel Ltd
- Photo Credit: Infinity Unlimited
- Ecology Consultant: James Johnston
- Categories: Conservation / Heritage, Residential-Private Housing
The previously painted original stone construction was exposed and re-pointed with a lime-based mortar, with a newly introduced stripped-down pallet of materials to suit; with new oak timber windows, stonework, slate tiles and exposed oak frame, the only exception being the larger expanses of aluminium framed glazed units, all selected to keep ongoing maintenance to a minimum.
Environmental and ecology considerations played a part, with bat boxes being distributed around the location during construction, and a portion of the barn outbuilding adapted for continued use as a bat roost room. With the cottage located on a floodplain, the edge of the site was enhanced with gabion walls introduced along the weakest location of the river edge to mitigate future flooding and bank deterioration.