Good news on the Planning Permission front

Although we bought the barns with planning permission, there were a few changes we wanted to make to maximise the location, views and accommodation. For example, they had designated the existing garage as an annex and put one of the barns as a new garage, we wanted to swap to it back. But in order to make such changes we have to go through the formal planning procedure, especially as we wanted to alter doors and windows.


We invited the planning officer out for a site visit and she could see no problem with what we proposed, so we employed our architect to get on to it straight away. Well as with all these things it takes time and who would have thought that with in that time the planning laws would change!!


Fortunately our proposal had already been registered and we were OK - at least we thought. Well we finally heard Friday clarification of the way forward and our plans are to be submitted on Monday, so we have got everything crossed that they sail through.

So what is next - well the barns are split into three and we are going to tackle what is to be the annexe, which is a single storey building that used to be previously used as a workshop. To give you an idea of scale the ground floor area equates to same as the total floor area of our 4 bedroom house at Godney.


The idea is then once this is complete we can then move in and out of the caravan, ready to tackle the two large barns in comfort.


Let me show you round...

This is the front - with two en suite bedrooms to be built in the open fronted building to the right.

Come inside to the living room

and open plan kitchen

and finally the entrance hall and bathroom



Melv started work on the outside as we bide our time for the permission to finally come through.

But lets hope now it won't be long...

'cos Melv is itching to start.

Patience brings progress

As the sun gets lower in the sky and the days shorter I look back and think it has been over 3 months now since we moved into Mill Barn and although a lot has happened and we have made good progress we are still playing the waiting game. That is one thing you learn when undertaking restoration projects - it all takes time and it is no good worrying about it.


For the first time last week when I looked to purchase something on the internet - our address came up - so that was a step forward - as an unregistered property things tend to get difficult when you try to change your address to one that the computer insists doesn't exist!!


The permission has finally come through for our water supply - so that can now be installed and we will soon be making the necessary preparations for excavating the trench and installing the pipework needed to connect to the mains. This needs to be done before the winter - currently thanks to the farmer we are taking water from his supply - but this means long lengths of exposed pipe - prime for freezing up as the days and nights get cooler.


So it is all good stuff, but now all we are waiting for are the planners, but that is another entry...

Work on the Dovecote continues...

The recent warm weather has been a challenge for the pointing work on the dovecote. Due to age of the building and the nature of the stonework Melv has chosen to use lime putty - this itself can be taxing, let alone working in the high 20's!!

Melv put hessian up and kept it wet to avoid the lime putty drying out too quick.

The lime putty comes already mixed up in a dumpy bag, Melv then mixes it up with Bidestone grit and leaves it to mature and one of the best containers is a bath!

The Bidestone grit is full of shells and stones.

This then comes out in the mortar and it looks really smart.

It is really starting to take shape, but there is still more to do, the last wall...