Rookhaye Farm, Bowerchalke

The courtyard of buildings at Rookhaye Farm is largely Victorian in date, and typical of Wilton Estate developments of that period – similar buildings can be seen a few miles away at Faulston, Bishopstone. Complexes of this sort, in flintwork and brick, are important components of the local rural heritage, but typically have been overtaken functionally by the requirements of modern agriculture. The aim of the Rookhaye project was to find new uses for the buildings, while maintaining the character, and indeed enhancing it by removal of later accretions. The judges had no doubt that this had been well achieved, to high standards. The conversion into five residential units, one a holiday let and the other four permanent lets, and two office units had seen the clutter visible in before photos removed, and judicious work carried out for instance to replace upvc doors with timber ones. Interiors had been sympathetically treated, with the retention of a wooden pulley wheel in a former granary retaining the memory of how sacks of grain had been lowered into carts in the former cartshed below. The planning history showed significant involvement from a conservation officer, who saw the principle of the application as laudable but made some detailed points, which had been met with amendments. The judges saw the overall achievement as one of great merit.

Architects: Michael Lyons Architecture, Salisbury

Photo: Michael Lyons Architecture