When our clients first viewed the Herefordshire Farm, they weren’t just buying land. They were stepping into a legacy. The original house, damaged beyond repair by two devastating fires, offered both challenge and opportunity: the chance to restore a historic farmstead while creating a new, enduring family home. Their ambition was to design something that honoured the past while supporting modern life and future generations.
The site carried deep significance. Once a historic fruit farm, it was an important part of the local landscape and community. Rebuilding required sensitivity to local character and planning policy, while also meeting the highest standards of efficiency and comfort. George and James took on the role of architects and project managers, guiding the vision with care, structure, and creativity.
The design grew from its setting. Working with landscape architect Kim Wilkie, we restored orchard patterns and the former farmstead layout, shaping the house to respond to long views, daylight, and topography. Its H-shaped plan reduces corridor space and gives key rooms dual or triple aspects, encouraging cross-ventilation and strong connections to the land. Materials, roof forms, and detailing were chosen to give the impression of a home that had evolved naturally over time, rooted in its context.
Herefordshire Farmhouse
Sustainability was central. The house is fully electric, powered by a solar PV roof to the converted stable, supported by an air-source heat pump and high levels of insulation. Reclaimed materials from site were integrated wherever possible, reinforcing both efficiency and a sense of place.
Inside, the interiors were designed with equal precision. George and James developed the full interior layout and all fixed elements, from bespoke joinery to the kitchen, bathrooms, fireplaces, and surface finishes. Fireplaces, both open hearths and wood-burning stoves, were carefully placed to create focal points that balance formality with everyday comfort. Lighting was treated as an architectural element in itself, with ambient, task, and feature layers built into the design to create depth and atmosphere throughout the day.
To complete the vision, an interior designer was brought on board to shape window treatments and loose furniture. This final layer introduced softness, colour, and individuality, resulting in a farmhouse interior that feels timeless, personal, and deeply connected to its rural setting.
The Herefordshire Farmhouse is more than a new house. It is the revival of a landscape, the continuation of a legacy, and a home designed for generations to come.
Project status: Construction
| Client | Private |
| Location | Herefordshire |
| Project type | New build house |
| Structure | Davies Maguire |
| Services | Max Fordham |
| Landscape | Kim Wilkie |
| Visualisations | Brink Studio |
| Kitchen designer | George and James Architects |
| Cost consultant | PT Projects |
| Architects | George & James Architects and Graham Morrison |
| Planning consultant | Mango Planning |
| Services | New Homes |
