The Maiden's Head

Having previously undergone a conversion into a dwelling, this project aspired to create a proportionate and contextually considered extension to the public house, linking the dwelling with its extensive garden, within which also sits a listed 18th-century timber barn. The site has a unique sense of place that commands a clear design dialogue - a sympathetic distinction between the new intervention and the historic fabric. The copper cladding which envelops the extension compliments the hues of historic clay tiles and brickwork whilst announcing itself as contemporary. The extension's pitched form responds to the existing hipped roofline and echoes the series of chimneys punctuating the host building with their pitched throats. Strong visual connections from the living accommodation to the landscape are established through a floating bay window, directing views up the steep garden from its nestled position. Lightweight glazed doors open the space into the patio courtyard and allow light to penetrate through to the existing parts of the plan. Low-energy techniques were introduced as part of the building conservation process. In dealing with such a sensitive context, the project aimed to illustrate the transformative power of a small intervention that also unlocked hidden historical fabric. The existing western chimney, which had been concealed by an earlier adaptation to provide WC accommodation to the pub, was reinstated as a central feature within the building plan. It now marks the transition point between old and new as you step down into the original bar retained as part of the previous works.